DxD: Grand Order
by Daemon of Wrath
Summary: Just when he thought his job was over...another one took its place. Even worse...a certain old troll is accompanying him for his next task. In a new world where the Age of Gods continues...he must gather Heroic Spirits to stop chaotic forces from destroying it. Now, Red Dragon Emperor...welcome to the Grand Order.
1. Chapter 1

**Co-Written with Otaku-Nation666, a good friend of mine and Demons Anarchy of Pride and the author of many great works like Tokyo Mirage Sesions: Apocalypse, RWBY Riders: Spirit of Legend, High School DxD: Destiny's Play, RWBY: Within Enlightened Heart, RWBY –Apocrypha-, Fabulae Parcae, Fate: Rebellion, Law of the Jungle, and many others.**

 **I highly recommend you guys check them out.**

 **Thanks for helping me with this Otaku, really appreciate it.**

 **This idea was based on the story Holding All the Cards by Drow79(an awesome fic that you all should read), and the mobile game, Fate Grand Order.  
**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

 **DxD: Grand Order**

 **Chapter 1: Origin**

Once again...the endless field of countless blades filled his line of sight. As far as the eye could see, weapons upon weapons littered the ground, stabbed into the earth. They sky overhead was a bloody crimson, as if to reflect the blood that had been spilled in these lands. Once more, he found himself here...overlooking it all...on top of the same hill.

No matter where he looked, there they were.

Swords.

Swords upon swords upon swords.

An endless sea of swords, stretching out in the horizon that stood far out of reach, out of sight. On that hill, at times, he would find her, though he knew that she was gone. Gone forever.

Yet, somehow, unlike the previous times...he felt something he had not felt in a very long time. Something that he had long thought forgotten.

Shirou Emiya...or rather, Counter Guardian EMIYA, felt at peace.

He felt peace in his heart...knowing that he had done something worthwhile...that he had done something truly good from his continuous pursuit in his ideals.

"...yare yare..." the white-haired man sighed. Unlike how he was usually, his red coat had long since been discarded, and his hair, which was usually swept back, was now patted down. When he was like this, were it not for the difference of height, skin, and hair color, it would be next to impossible to tell the difference between him and the other Emiya, Shirou. "I made all of that talk...yet I ended up doing something just as stupid as him." A chuckle escaped him as he leaned back on a blade, buried deep into the ground...HER blade. "Ah, oh well...it was fun, either way."

Tears began to tinkle down his face, cascading past his cheeks.

"Yeah...it was fun...seeing them all again..." He had seen them all before. Again and again countless times. He had seen them so many times that he couldn't even miss them anymore. But not this time. This time...he longed to go back to those days. To the days that he had discarded long ago in pursuit of his ideals.

Rin...

Sakura...

Illya...

Taiga...

Issei...

Saber...

"Hahaha..." he laughed bitterly. "Look at me...I'm so damned pitiful, and yet...I feel so happy all the same..."

Before, he would curse his very existence for following through his tainted ideals. But now...he felt no greater joy in living like this...

And to think...it all started...because of that deal with a "World..."

There hasn't been a time when he had regretted the decisions with every fiber of his being ever since.

Back then, he still thought he could become a Hero of Justice...but Alaya had broken him over and over repeatedly. In the end, he realized that there was no such thing in this world. No Hero of Justice, not even a hero...that title belonged to those who had the strength to become such ideals. He lacked that in every regard.

Because he lacked that, he wasn't able to save anyone...

"...well, not like it matters anymore now..." EMIYA muttered. "Che...I just hope I can get some sleep for once...before I get called up again."

"Heh," an old voice chuckled from behind him. "Sounds like you're getting on in old age, Emiya-kun." The Counter Guardian looked over his shoulder, and found a man dressed in what could only be described as black regal clothing, a cape sitting over his shoulders, sporting a white beard, and hair slicked back, with some of it still sticking outward. "Which is not really surprising. After all, you're even older than I am."

EMIYA's eyes widened considerably, recognizing the old man instantly. "Zelretch..."

"That's my name, don't wear it out." The Dead Apostle chuckled with a cheeky grin.

Mentally, EMIYA sighed. No matter how much time had passed, Zelretch would always be the old troll he had come to known. Honestly, one could've expected more from the magician known as Kaleidoscope. Nevertheless, the man questioned him. "Just what are you even doing here?"

"What?" the old vampire feigned being hurt. "I'm not allowed to see one of the most interesting Magus of the year?"

"Please, the day you were that simple is the day you've officially gone senile," EMIYA retorted. "So just be straight with me."

"Okay, okay..." Zelretch raised his hands in defense while chuckling.

"So...what are you doing here, Kaleidoscope?" EMIYA asked with a stern glare. Knowing the old troll...whenever he popped up...it was always something that involved entertaining him in some way.

Zelretch chuckled. "Just something that aligns with your next job is all."

EMIYA frowned at this, but then found that the world around him was beginning to dissolve in a familiar light, causing him to sigh. So his "employer" was calling for him already? He really can't catch a break, can he?

"Alright...so what exactly am I doing now...?" He questioned. He might as well accept his never ending fate.

"Well, after going through different timelines, I doubt you'll be surprised if you learned about the existence of parallel worlds?" Zelretch asked, earning a scoff from the Counter Guardian. The man before him, a true Magician by all rights, even for the standards of a Dead Apostle, had the power to traverse the worlds of all sorts. The existence of other worlds hardly surprised him at this point, especially after visiting worlds that followed different timelines. He felt his body shudder, recalling his experience with Dark Sakura.

He NEVER wanted to experience that again.

"Well," the vampiric troll stroked his beard. "The task Alaya has given you is certainly an odd one...and it happens to be aligning with my own objectives in that world."

EMIYA quirked an eyebrow. "How do you mean?"

Zelretch grinned wickedly. "Because in the world you're going to," he said with glee. "The Age of Gods has not ended."

"What?!" EMIYA gaped in shock. A world where Gods still walk the Earth? How is that possible?!

Zelretch nodded. "Unfortunately, that world has it's own fair share of problems...problems you and I are going to be dealing with."

The Archer Servant groaned as he palmed his face. Alaya was sending him to a world where the Gods themselves existed? For an existence that represented the collective desire of humanity's instinct to survive, she was one hell of a task master. He paused, however, when he registered the Dead Apostle's words, and slowly turned to him. "...wait, what do you mean, 'you and I?'"

"Just what it sounds like, Emiya-kun!" Zelretch grinned widely. "We're going on a grand quest!"

"..." A moment passed. Then two. Then three. Finally, the Kaleidoscope's words finally sunk into his brain. "...WHAT?!" He's going to be working with this crazy troll?! Hasn't Alaya put him through enough Hell?!

"Yep!" Zelretch nodded with a jovial grin. "You and I are going to be partners in this mission!"

"The hell we are!" EMIYA screeched in both outrage and horror. "There's no way!"

"Ohohoho, you say that now, Emiya-kun!" the troll smirked. "But just wait! You'll be begging to be my partner!"

For the umpteenth time in his life, EMIYA sorely regretted ever making a deal with the "World" if he had to work with one of the most infuriating people he had ever met.

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

"What is the matter, little one?" a rumbling voice echoed in the dark warehouse. The moon barely provided any sort of illumination, despite the holes in the metallic rooftop above them. Many beams were left lying on the ground, as the interior was in a major state of decay. What really made the scene more ominous were the various crimson red splatters on the ground, as well as the many pieces of body parts thrown about. In the center of it all was a towering monstrosity composed of rippling muscle, its skin red, and scars littering its body while wielding a gigantic silver cleaver. Atop it's head was a giant horn, and its fangs were large and overbearing, sharp and jagged. "Why not come out? I want to see the dragon you have with you!"

Hiding from the monster, sitting behind several crates, was a young child, barely even eight years old, with messy brown hair and eyes, which were watery as tears fell from his face, hands clasped over his mouth, as not to let the monster hear the sound of him breathing.

How did this happen? How could things have gone so horribly, horribly wrong?!

Today was supposed to be a good day. Today was Iri-chan's birthday, so he had gone out to buy her a present. Unfortunately, he had gotten mixed up with a bunch of older kids, some of which looked really mean and nasty. They had brought him to an old warehouse, intending to have him cough up the money he had been saving up for his best friend's present.

And then that monster showed up...and killed those teenagers.

It was a gruesome sight, one that just about scarred him for life. He could still hear the screams of horror as the monster cleaved them to bits. Even as they tried to run, the beast easily caught up to and slaughtered them with a single swipe of its blade. As it did so, the monster did not pay attention to the boy, who took that moment of opportunity to run and hide.

And now that monster was looking for him, sniffing the air with hot drool falling from his mouth, looking around while holding that bloodied blade. "Come out, come out, wherever you are~"

The young boy cringed and pulled his legs in closer, making sure he was well hidden. His lungs screamed for oxygen but he dared not breathe lest he give away his location.

The footsteps were coming closer and closer now. He could practically feel the monster's breath down his neck.

'Mama...Papa...' he thought in despair, hoping that someone would save him. 'Somebody...help...!'

He begged and begged. He begged to God. He begged to Amaterasu. He begged to any deity that will hear his pleas.

Then, suddenly, everything became silent. He no longer heard footsteps. He no longer heard the monster's breathing. He no longer heard the sound of metal scraping against the floor.

Did...did the monster actually leave...? Was...was it safe to come out now? Or...or was it a trick to lure him out? The boy couldn't tell. However, his lungs kept screaming at him to breathe. So...taking the risk...the boy released his breath.

Then, the crates were obliterated, and he was thrown aside with the flying debris.

"Gah!" A yelp of pain escaped his lips as he landed harshly on the concrete floor.

"Found you~" The Monster cackled, its long tongue licking the cold, iron blade.

The boy screamed as he began to scamper away. He got up on his feet, and tried to run away. However, the monster proved to be faster, as it too a mighty leap into the air, and landed right in front of him, the ground broke apart upon impact. He fell on his rear, now paralyzed with terror. The monster cackled as it leered down on him, its red eyes glowing fiercely in the dark as if it were burning coal. "I've always wanted to taste a dragon," it said as it let its tongue hang out, twisting and curling. "And just my luck you're so small and tender...hah! Big things do come in small packages!"

'N-no...' the poor child thought, tears and mucus running down his face. 'S-stop...somebody, stop it...!' The creature stood up to its feet, raising it's cleaver. 'Mama...Papa...someone...anyone!' The creature's mouth curled into a sickening grin, and the blade glimmered in the moonlight. 'Somebody, please...!

Then, the knife swung down.

"SOMEBODY SAVE ME!"

*CLANG!*

The blade never came. The sudden clash of metal caused the boy to open his eyes. He saw red. Not red from his blood...but rather...the red of the spear that had blocked the knife with ease. They boy ran his eyes along the length of the spear, taking in every detail. To him, the sight of the weapon seemed...comforting. He then turned towards the person holding the spear in a desire to thank them. The words soon died in his throat as his eyes locked onto the individual. Only one word managed to register in the boy's mind.

"...Beautiful..."

In front of him was a woman, breathtaking at the very sight of her. Her face was set into an impassive stare, yet beneath he found her crimson red eyes bewildered with a quiet and tamed fury. Her hair was dark purple, falling past her shoulders, and was clad in a black and purple bodysuit, wearing what appeared to be shoes made of steel, and on her shoulders were pauldrons. She stood in front of him, barring the monster's advance towards him, with the red spear in her hand halting the sword with ease. In her other hand was another red spear, only it was shorter, and the blade at the tip was significantly wider.

"Nani?!" the monster cried. "Kisama! Who the hell are you?!"

"...I have gone by many names..." The woman stated, her voice melodious and smooth, each word carrying intensity. "But right now...I am your end."

In a swift moment, the woman parried the monster's knife, and swung her second spear, leaving behind a deep gash in the monster's chest. "Graghgh!" the creature gasped as it staggered back, blood spewing from its body. "H-how?! An Oni's skin is thicker than steel!"

"Hmph," the woman snorted. "You think having tough skin will protect you from my spear? You are sorely mistaken."

"Damn you!" The Oni snarled as it wildly swung its knife with the intent of beheading her. The woman simply ducked beneath the strike before sidestepping and stabbing her first spear in the monster's side.

The strike again pierced through its skin, causing blood to spew. The Oni roared in pain and outrage, and swung his giant knife down, only to hit empty air, and his blade breaking the ground apart as it was left buried into the earth. The boy's eyes widened. Where had she gone? He didn't even see her move! He looked around, and to his shock, he found her right above the Oni, both spears brandished. When the Oni realized where she was, he looked up.

A poor mistake, as soon, both spears pierced straight into his eye sockets, destroying the eyeballs within. As a result, the Oni screamed in utter pain, shrieking as he swung his arms around, stumbling through the warehouse while the woman remained on his head. A smirk formed across her face. "Not so tough now, are you big boy?" she said with a teasing tone before she stood up, pulling out one of the spears from his eye. "Don't worry...I'm finishing this boorish fight quickly."

"DAMN YOU!" the Oni screeched. In a futile attempt, he tried to swipe her off, but the woman jumped up, avoiding the strike with ease.

Then, the spear began to glow brilliantly. A sense of familiarity ran through Issei as he watched her eyes glow, and a purple aura dance around her.

Then, two words fell from her lips in a whisper.

"...Gae Bolg."

The purple aura surrounding her flared violently to a bright red, the Crimson light being brightest around the spear itself. The boy felt pressure in the air, making him feel heavy. His eyes were focused on the glowing spear, believing it to be the source of this feeling.

With a single motion, the woman threw the spear down, whistling as it cut through the air. In a matter of seconds later, the red spear struck its target, tearing through its chest and stabbing through the heart. The weapon went clean through and stabbed into the ground behind the Oni.

A second passed. Two, then three.

Then, the Oni fell forward with a thud, creating a small tremor. The boy yelped, as the beast that had nearly killed him was right at his feet, and scampered away. The woman landed right on the ground gracefully into a crouch, right next to her weapon. She gripped the shaft as she stood up, pulling the spear out of the ground and giving it a quick swipe, throwing any blood on it to the ground. "As usual, all bark and no bite," the woman muttered as she turned to look at the beast's corpse. "Still...what was an Oni doing all the way out here in a small city like this?" A troubled frown crossed her features. "What is Yasaka doing?"

"A-Ano..." A young child's voice broke her out of her musings. The woman turned around and looked down, facing a brown haired young boy covered in dirt and blood.

The woman smiled softly. "Are you alright, young one?"

"H-Hai!" The boy nodded nervously.

To his surprise, the spears disappeared, blowing away into what seemed like red mist. The woman approached him, leaving him nervous. What was she going to do? Who was she? Where did she come from? She wasn't going to hurt him, right? After all, she killed the monster that was about to kill him. Thankfully, to his relief, the woman instead bent down to her knees, and patted him on the head. "Everything is alright now, little one," she said gently. "The big scary thing is dead now."

The boy breathed a sigh of relief. His body was trembling. Whether it was from the terror from before or his current sense of relief he did not know. He wrapped his arms around the woman's neck, thanking her over and over again. "Thank you...thank you...!"

The woman was surprised by the action, but she felt a smile form across her face. She patted the boy on the head, letting him pour out his fears. When she had found the Oni, she had seen it searching for someone, possibly its target. She had contemplated whether or not to save the unfortunate victim, but as soon as she saw the child, she knew she had to jump in there. It was a boy, for God's sake. There was no way in Hell she was about to let someone as weak and defenseless, especially one so young, be killed by a monster of the likes of an Oni. She was still confused about the matter, though. Why was an Oni so far from Kyoto? Moreover, what had been speaking about? Something about a dragon?

Ah, oh well...she could question it another time. For now, she had to bring this child back to home to his parents.

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

"...s-so, um, your name is...Scatat?"

The woman giggled. "Close, Issei," she wagged her finger at him. "It's Scathach. Hard to pronounce, I know."

Currently, the woman known as Scathatch, and the boy, Issei Hyoudou, were walking down the street in the commercial district, which led to the boy's house. Currently, the brunette sat atop the stranger's shoulders, his hands sitting atop her head while he peered at the world around him from so high up. It reminded him of the piggy-back rides his mom gave him. "That's too hard..." he said, frowning out of frustration. "C-can I...call you Big Sis instead?"

"Of course you can, little one," Scathach said with a smile. "Though I'm flattered you would call this old woman 'big sister.'"

"You don't like that old, Big Sis," the boy retorted. "My mom looks pretty young, and you look way prettier than she does!"

"Oh really? Well, I'm flattered you think so." Scathach grinned at the compliment. If only the boy knew how long she truly lived.

"Mm." Issei nodded. "You are the prettiest person I ever met!"

The woman giggled. Oh, wasn't he just the cutest? It has been a while since she last interacted with a human like this, a child no less. Still...she had to admit, he felt oddly familiar to her for some reason. She couldn't shake this feeling that...this boy was familiar to her somehow.

"Ne, Big Sis?" Issei called out to her, earning her attention. "W-what was that spear you used? It looked like it was glowing."

Scathach raised a brow. Her spear? Why would he be so interested in it? She ruled it off as childish curiosity, but still…Nevertheless, she decided to humor him. "...It's called Gae Bolg."

"Gay...Bulge?" Issei tilted his head. "That's a weird name."

Sathach giggled. Oh, this boy was so cute. "No, G-A-E B-O-L-G," she corrected, spelling the name of her student's weapon. "It belonged to a student of mine, though I...was given it back after some unsavory circumstances."

Issei wasn't sure what she was referring to, so he decided not to question it. Instead, he asked a question that threw her for a loop. "C-can I...can I see it?"

"Issei, it's not really advised to hand a child a weapon, even if they want to hold it." She replied.

"Please? I wanna see it..."

Scathach sighed, palming her face. She was about to rebuke the child, saying it wasn't meant for children, but she fell prey to the one thing she could never refute.

The dreaded weapon every child had: the Puppy-Dog Eyes.

Issei's eyes dilated as they shimmered with moisture, his mouth set in a quivering lip. He was looking at her with those eyes...begging her to say yes.

Internally, the warrior pouted. '...I hate it when children do that,' she thought with a sigh. She lowered herself down, allowing the boy to hop off safely. Afterwards, she turned. "Alright," she relented. "But only this once. Understand?" Issei nodded. The woman then extended her hand, opening her palm. The next moment, the crimson red spear appeared in her grasp.

The boy's face brightened. The woman slowly handed the weapon out to Issei and he grasped the shaft in his hand.

As soon as he did, the spear began to glow.

Both pairs of eyes widened at the phenomenon taking place. The light seemed to burn in an ethereal manner, curling around Issei's hand. To the child, it brought forth a familiar sense of warmth, comforting almost. However, to Scathach...it was another matter entirely.

Her face displayed a myriad of emotions. Shock. Disbelief. Sorrow. Joy. And realization.

"...it couldn't be..." She whispered. It wasn't possible...unless...

She hadn't realized that tears were spilling down her face. Issei noticed this, and became concerned. "Big Sis?" he called out for her. "Are you okay?"

The woman felt her cheek and noticed it was wet. She quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Y-yes. I'm fine..."

It was a lie.

She felt happy...happy for the first time in so long. 'Who would have thought...' she thought, overjoyed by this fact. 'That you had left behind a legacy...my dear student?'

She figured that when her student died back so long ago, his bloodline died with him. But here was this child. It was no lie. This boy was...

"...hey, Big Sis?" Scathach blinked, taken out of her thoughts as the young boy tapped his fingers together nervously. "U-um, I know you said that a kid shouldn't hold a weapon, but...d-do you think you can...teach me how to fight?"

The woman was even more surprised by his words. But that surprise was quickly replaced by a nostalgic smile. This was so familiar to her…

"...before I answer that," the woman said as she dismissed Gae Bolg, kneeling down. "Why do you want to fight?"

Issei frowned heavily. "W-when that monster came after me...I felt so weak...I felt like I was going to die any second..." he said, his body shaking from the horrible memories of nearly being killed, and possibly eaten. "But...when I thought about Iri-chan...I thought about the monster going after him too." A dark scowl formed across his face, revealing sharp fangs. "I...couldn't stand the thought of that. I don't want to be weak...I don't want to watch any of my friends die...that's why...! That's why I...!"

His eyes widened when a pair of slender arms wrapped around him. His shuddering stopped, feeling a familiar and gentle embrace around him. "...honestly," Scathach said with a smile. "Children these days...you all grow up so fast."

The woman gently patted his head as he slowly calmed down.

After Issei had calmed down, Scathach, much to his disappointment, pulled away. "I'll teach you," she said. "But, promise me one thing?"

"What is it?"

"First, promise me...that you won't die," the warrior asked, causing Issei's eyes to widen. He found an overwhelming sadness reflected in his eyes, as if reliving a painful time. "I once had a student who died...a boy I held dearly to my heart. I do not wish to lose another student, much less one so young."

"I...I promise!" The boy nodded with resolution. "I promise to stay alive!"

Scathach smiled, bobbing her head. "Alright then," she said as she stood up. "We begin training tomorrow. First things first, let's get you home!"

"Yatta!" Issei cheered. With that, the two resumed their return to the young child's home. "By the way...Big Sis? Can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Issei?"

"...what's Oppai?"

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

 **(Time Skip - Five Years Later)**

"Guh!"

Thirteen-year-old Issei Hyoudou grunted as he was thrown back, feet skidding across the ground. A look of irritation was present on his features as he looked up, and found his attacker charging towards him, spear ready to impale him. Acting quickly, he brought up his own spear, letting metal clash against metal. Sparks began to fly as the two blades grinded against each other. The air quickly became warmer as red electricity danced with violet. The two parted, only to clash again in rapid succession. It was like gold and red were dancing together in a chaotic symphony, one trying to overcome the other. A thrust was sent forward, ripping the fabric of Issei's shirt, creating a shallow gash on his left rib. In response, Issei swiveled around on his feet, swinging his spear, but was met with resistance, instead only able to strike against the shaft of the golden spear.

"Will you just let me hit you?!" Issei growled. His opponent, in response, shrugged off his attack and retaliated with another strike, ramming the butt of his spear into Issei's stomach and knocking the wind out of him, thus causing him to stagger. He then followed up with a quick stab, though the teen recovered in time, side-stepping the thrust before going in for a strike of his own. Unlike last time, the spear hit its mark, albeit only grazing the shoulder. Regardless, however, the boy bared his fangs. "Finally! Another point!"

Sadly, his moment of victory was short lived as his opponent did something unexpected. He bent down, and performed a leg sweep, catching Issei's legs and throwing him to the ground. The teen yelped, and quickly brought up his spear, deflecting the incoming stab that would have impaled through his neck. Instead, the spear was now dangerously close to his head. It also cut through his cheek, creating a small scar that quickly began to bleed. "...two points," his opponent stated. Then, he pulled his spear away, shifting it unto his shoulder and stepping back to allow Issei unto his feet. "That makes my win."

"Che..." the brunette scowled. "That was a cheap shot, Karna." In front of Issei was his opponent, who looked to be older than him by at least four years, bearing messy white hair that nearly covered the right side of his face, and bearing vibrant blue eyes. He wore a red jacket with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, along with a black tank-top that greatly exposed much of his physique, showing off a well-toned body and a six-pack. He wasn't completely ripped, only enough to grant him quite the allure. He also wore black pants with golden circlets around his anklets. Strangely, his feet were barefoot. "I'll win next time!"

"Now now, Issei," a feminine voice called out, followed by footsteps. "You should know there is no such thing as a fair fight in a battle. Thus, cheap shots are more than allowed."

In response to this, he groaned. "Come on, Big Sis...cut me some slack here!"

The young teen had grown a lot in these past few years. He grew several inches taller and had a bit of muscle on his thin frame from training. His brown hair had grown to be messier slight spikier as he got older. The most notable change about him was his eyes.

His brown eyes had developed a red tint to them. It was hard to say if they were a brownish red or a reddish brown. Scathach, however, had not changed at all. She still looked as beautiful as the day he had met her five years ago. Of course, being older meant that he started to notice a few things...namely how proportionate she was in some areas. His eyes trailed down to her chest, and then to her thighs. "...Issei," Karna called out, noticing his gaze. "You are doing it again."

He blinked, and shook his head. 'Damned hormones...'

Ever since he struck puberty, he couldn't help but stare at the beauty of the fairer sex. God he hoped he wasn't turning into a pervert!

"Well, at least you are improving," Scathach said, folding her arms. "This is the first time you've scored more than three points off of Karna."

It was a training system they had. The first one to get ten points on the other is the winner of the match. Points could be anything; grazes, blows, cuts, pretty much any form of injury inflicted. In all the time that Issei's trained with Scathach and Karna, he was able to only score three at most on the latter. Today was his new record with four points.

Unfortunately, his score with Scathach was still zero, whereas she had fifty, and Karna with twenty-five.

"Yeah..." the teen sighed, scratching the back of his head. "But I still got my ass-whupped."

Scathach frowned in disapproval. "What have I told you about cursing?"

"Come on! I'm thirteen now! I think I'm allowed to curse!"

"Not until you are seventeen, you are."

Karna chuckled. "As usual, Lady Scathach has you whipped."

"Shut it, Karna!" Issei snapped.

The spear master shook head in amusement. Honestly, they were such children. Well, then again, her previous student wasn't any better. So wild and carefree, willing to jump headfirst into the midst of battle before growing to become the Hound of Ireland that was known in legend. Still, she had to admit, to this day, she was utterly amazed by the fact that his blood continued to exist in this world...and in the veins of her newest student. She noticed how similar he was to her student when she first encountered him, but after seeing Gae Bolg react to him, she was certain now. The thought of her new student being his predecessor's descendant brought forth a smile to her face.

In the five years they spent together, she had become something of a mix between an older sister, mother figure, and teacher. Issei had always referred to her as "Big Sis," as he had when he was younger, and had endured her training to the fullest. While he had complained about the wounds, he never once faltered. He was dead set on becoming stronger for the sake of the people he wanted to protect. However, much to her own amusement, he had also gotten a bit more...boyish, in the sense that he was beginning to notice the female body much earlier than most boys his age. She recalled what he had asked her that day, and she still found herself laughing. Really, teaching a child about the wonders of boobs and harems? Oh, how ridiculously fun the world had become!

She had not missed the way he was looking at her...and where he was looking. Hm, maybe she should tease him? Or perhaps train with him in the art of the "Friendship of Thighs" in the future? She shook her head from such thoughts. That sort of thing wasn't until he was older. He is still a child now…

It's hard to believe that it's been five years already. Then again, years mean nothing to someone who is immortal. It's just…these past few years were different than the rest…With Issei, she had…fun…she really enjoyed his presence and company all this time. It was during these five years that she had even forgotten about her wish...

"...by the way, Lady Scathach?" Karna called out to her. She broke away from her thoughts, and found Issei glaring at him with seething eyes, steam pouring off of his head while the descendant of the famed hero and son of Kunti looked at her with a familiar look reflected in his eyes. "May we speak for a moment?"

Scathach nodded, and turned to her pupil. "That will be all for now, Issei," she told him. "Rest up. We resume shortly."

"Thank God...I'll do just that." Issei leaned backwards and fell flat on his back with his arms sprawled out. Meanwhile, Karna and Scathach moved a bit away from the boy to resume their discussion.

"...so, what's this about?"

"I received a call from the Director," Karna answered, his tone serious. "It's about Issei."

Scathach frowned. "I thought I told him that the boy isn't ready," she said in a cold voice. "Until he learns how to control Gae Bolg, as well as have some degree of control over his Sacred Gear, I will not allow him to get involved in the Grand Order's works."

The Grand Order.

An Organization composed of various heroic figures, both living and descendants of them. They are nothing like the Hero Faction of the rumored Khaos Brigade, who calls themselves heroes simply because they were descendants of one and had Sacred Gears. The Grand Order may consist of descendants, but their characters represent what it truly means to be heroic spirits.

Scathach had been a member of this group since around the days it was founded, though she had never considered herself apart of it. Really, it was more along the lines of passing the time. However, in spite of that, the founder of the group had considered her apart of it, and had made her the supervisor of her own group. Strangely, each member was apart of a unit, seven in all, with each member of this unit set into a team or a division. Karna was one such member, apart of the Lancer Unit. Among other members were Iskandar of the Rider Unit, Jacqueline de Circus of the Assassin Unit, Tamamo no Mae of the Caster Unit, and various others.

Due to her having taken on a student, the Order was made aware of Issei's existence as the descendant of Cu Chulainn, the Child of Light and the Hound of Ireland, and had kept a close eye on him. Scathach had immediately made it clear that she would not allow Issei to join the Order until he had mastered Gae Bolg, and learned how to control his Sacred Gear, something she discovered that he wielded about a couple years into their training. Since then, she has also trained him in properly utilizing it.

However, lately the Order has been pretty persistent in having Issei join their ranks. While he may be young and still in training, he held potential. Vast amounts of potential.

"You are correct about that, Lady Scathach..." Karna nodded before his face turned grim. "However...there's been a change of plans."

"What kind of change?"

"...the Hero Faction."

At this, The Immortal Witch's features darkened. Of course. That itself would be a good enough reason why the Order was so persistent.

"...did they find out about Isse?"

Karna nodded. "They're trying to find him as we speak. As you know, the Director and the Hero Faction's leader, Cao Cao, are not on good terms in every sense...and if Issei is to be recruited by them..."

"...We would have a full blown conflict on our hands..." She finished for him.

Scathach didn't know much about the Hero Faction, other than that their numbers also composed of those of Heroic Blood, though to the eyes of the Grand Order's members, they were far from true heroes. Because of their methods, the Grand Order was not pleased with them, and considered them an enemy by all rights. Once, there had been a conflict between Cao Cao and the Director...and that had shown her the terror that was the man known as the Wrought-Iron Magus, whatever the title implied. The sight was forever burned into her mind.

Swords...infinite swords. Unlimited swords. A sky filled with blades, all made with power. Among them was even her student's Gae Bolg. However, that wasn't the only shocking thing either.

After all, very few people have ever masterfully created a replica of the spear that killed Jesus Christ.

She could not believe what she saw at the time. Her leader had successfully forged a replica of the True Longinus.

What happened after that could not even be called a battle. It was a one-sided beatdown.

While it was true the leader of the Hero Faction possessed the most powerful Sacred Gear to ever have existed, he could barely hold a candle to the Director. He not only possessed the powers of his forged Longinus on his side, but the field of countless weapons of legend as well.

In short, fighting him was like fighting a man with an infinite arsenal of weapons...and he knew how to use every last one of them.

Back to the main point, if the Hero Faction ever obtained Issei, it would certainly make things problematic. No doubt that they would do whatever it took to recruit him...even if it meant brainwashing him or threatening the people he loved to force him to cooperate. An irritated sigh escaped her, rubbing her temples. "...can't he wait a bit longer?" Karna did not miss the begging tone in her voice. "As much as I'd like to believe...Issei isn't ready."

"He doesn't have to be," Karna told her. "However, the Director promises that he'll be under your jurisdiction." A smile formed across his face. "After all...he is a Lancer."

Given Issei's skill set and tutelage, it was pretty obvious as to what unit he would be assigned to. Still, Scathach couldn't help but be pleased with that particular arrangement.

"So, I take it he'll be working with Jack and the others?"

Karna nodded. "I should warn you...Herc has been dying to meet him," A sigh escaped the Demi-God, shaking his head in exasperation. "I can already imagine the property damage."

"As can I..." the witch sighed in agreement. Knowing the Greek Demigod descendant, he will be very well asking Issei for a fight every chance they meet.

"Shall I inform Issei?"

"No," Scathach shook her head. "I'll tell him myself."

"Actually," an old voice said. "There won't be a need for that, Scathy~"

The woman tensed before sighing in frustration. She would've guessed for HIM of all people to appear.

"...why in God's name are you here, Zelretch?"

The Dead Apostle casually strolled up to the two Lancers.

"What?" the troll said cheekily with a smirk. "Can't a guy come see his favorite smoking hot spear-wielding badass?"

Scathach rolled her eyes. "As colorful as ever..."

"Why thank you. I aim to please..." he took a bow.

Karna's face remained stoic, in spite of the bizarre behavior of the man in front of them. "I was told that I was only supposed to relay the message to Lady Scathach," he said in confusion. "I was not informed that you would be here, Chief."

"Bah," Zelretch rolled his eyes. "I thought I told you not to call me that! It feels...unprofessional! Anyway, I had intended on letting you and Scathach try and ease the boy into it, but..."

Suddenly, a tremor passed through the ground, followed by a series of explosions not far from where they were.

The Kaleidoscope sighed. "...Iskandar followed you."

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! NOW THIS IS WHAT A BATTLE FEELS LIKE!"

"For the love of-! WOULD YOU STOP GIVING COMMENTARY YOU OVERSIZED GIANT?!"

Issei yelled at the newcomer. He had to lean back in order to look the man in the face due to his massive height. His clothes were strained on his heavy muscular frame, showing that he was completely ripped and that he could kill a bear with his bare hands. His skin tone was tanned from exposure to the sun. His fiery red hair was swept back and connected to the beard on his chin. His eyes were dark and held a jovial spark.

Oh, and did he forget to mention the fact that said man was trying to kill him? He jumped back in order to avoid being pulverized into the ground by the massive fist the man swung at him, destroying the ground beneath his feet in on blow. His feet skidded across the ground before he held up his hand. "Okay, then!" he said as a red light danced around his hand. It then solidified, turning into a red bracer with a green jewel in the center. "Even if it's just a Twice Critical...I can at least even the playing field!"

 **[BOOST!]**

He felt power surge through his veins. It was just the pick me up he needed. Utilizing his added strength, he jumped forward faster than he had previously.

He thrust his spear forward, power gathering at the tip. The large man grinned as he reared back his hand, and then thrust it forward as well. Spear met flesh...and a shockwave followed. Issei was nearly blown away from the recoil of his attack, whereas the man stood his ground, a fierce grin on his face. "THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" he roared. "GET STRONGER! GET FASTER! MAKE THIS FIGHT WORTHY OF KINGS, BOY!" The hand that he used to attack with was cut into and bleeding, but he paid it no mind. He was having too much fun in this fight to worry.

Issei quickly retaliated and moved for a quick stab to the man's abdomen. He struck, but it wasn't deep enough.

The boy tried to pull his spear out of the man's body, but found himself unable to. He pulled and pulled, but it wouldn't budge. Was this guy using his own muscles to hold onto his weapon?! All the while, Iskandar bellowed in amused laughter.

"HAHAHA! Nice try boy, but you are going to have to do better than that!"

Growling, Issei's eyes became overwhelmed in red, and Gae Bolg began to glow. "Gae..."

The man's eyes widened, but then his mouth turned into a toothy grin.

"BOLG!"

The bloody spear fluctuated with power before it shot from his hands and through the hulking figure's body.

The force of the blast did not pierce through him, but it did throw him back quite a ways. Issei himself could not handle the recoil, and was flung away also, flying through the air while screaming in pain, steam rising from his hands. He soon managed to reorient himself while in the air, landing on the ground before hissing in pain. "D-dammit..." he said through clenched teeth. "I guess a Boost-powered attack like that isn't a good idea yet..."

He could feel his body screaming from the strain, the blisters already forming on his palms. He swore that he could even feel his bones ache. Nevertheless, he tried to pull himself up. No matter what happened, the battle was far from over.

True enough, the red-haired man before him was on his feet, seemingly unfazed by the attack, though his shirt was completely incinerated. As a result, it revealed his muscular frame, which was nothing short but something that could make a body-builder green with envy. It wasn't as bulky or veined as some body builders, but it wasn't weak or semi-solid either. No, this was muscle formed into perfection. The spear was buried deeper into his stomach, but not all the way through. Scathach was right…he still wasn't ready to use that technique…"Not bad, boy!" the man boomed with laughter. "While you didn't do any damage, you increased the power behind your attack at point blank range! I'd expect nothing less from the heir of the Hound of Chulainn!"

Issei frowned. "Hound of what?"

"Now, let us-!"

"ENOUGH, ISKANDAR."

The man had to step to the side to avoid being skewered by another red spear. Scathach landed in a crouch before ramming the flat end of her weapon in the man's face.

"Gack!" the man cried, holding his face. He glared at the woman. "What in the bloody hell was that for, Lady Scathach?! This fight was just about to get interesting!"

In response, he received another strike, this time to his abdomen. "I will not have you kill my student, especially when he has yet to reach his full potential."

"I wasn't gonna kill the boy," Iskander grumbled, rubbing his stomach. "I was only testing the waters! The boy's got the makings of a King in him!"

"At his current state, he wouldn't survive that little 'test' of yours..." Karna commented wryly as he approached the group. "So either way...you still would've killed him."

Iskandar groaned. "Not you too, Karna..."

"...okay, what the hell is going on?!" Issei voiced his confusion and irritation. It was natural, after all. He was suddenly attacked by some giant of a man who kept spouting off nonsense and was close to blowing him apart! Now his teacher comes in, and she apparently knows him? "Who in the hell is this guy, Big Sis?! Moreover, who's the old goat behind Karna?!"

The old man grinned. "Old goat, eh? If only I had a dollar for every time someone said that."

"Issei," Karna said, gesturing towards Iskandar. "This is Iskandar...a descendant of the famous Alexander the Great. And he," he then turned his attention to the old man behind him. "Is Zelretch, mine and Lady Scathach's employer."

"..." The boy grew silent. He tried to process this news...more so the former than the latter...the guy that tried to bash him to the ground...was the descendant of THE King of Conquerors?! The man who nearly conquered the entire world at one time?!

"...you gotta be shittin' me."

"Language, Issei!"

Zelretch laughed. "No, we are not shitting you, as you so colorfully put it, boyo," he said cheekily. "You are looking at the true heir to the name of the King of Conquerors."

"That is correct!" Iskandar bellowed as he pounded a fist on his chest, not minding the fact that Issei's Gae Bolg was still embedded in his torso. "My name is Iskandar! The descendant of the Macedonian King and the man destined to surpass him! It is good to meet you, descendant of Cu Chulainn!"

A heavy silence passed through the area. No one spoke a word, and the atmosphere suddenly turned tense. Karna grimaced as he dragged a hand down his face, while Scathach's eyes were obscured by her hair. Zelretch sported an amused grin.

Issei, meanwhile, looked like he short-circuited.

"...come again?"

Did...did he hear that right? Him...a descendant of Cu Chulainn? He...he learned from Scathach that he was an Irish Hero, who also went by the name of Setanta. He didn't know why but...he always found stories about him to be his favorites out of everything his sister figure told him.

"Issei my boy," the troll said with relished delight. "You are the last remaining heir of the lineage of Cu Chulainn. How else would you be able to wield Gae Bolg?"

The brown haired boy stared at his hands, then at the red spear in Iskandars body. He...was related to a hero?!...HIM… of all people was the descendant of the Irish Hound…? Scathach NEVER told him anything of the sort!...Then again…it probably explained all the lectures on Celtic Myths he received from her…

"Oh, right..." Iskandar hummed as he tapped the red spear. "I forgot he impaled me with this! Hahahaha, the boy's got some strength!"

Karna sweatdropped. "...you only just now realized the spear in your stomach?"

"Hahaha...! Yes! The boy has potential, though...that attack of his actually forced me back." he laughed as if there was nothing wrong with it. Iskandar was fortunate that Issei had yet to tap into the full power of Gae Bolg. Otherwise the curse from the red spear would've prevented that wound from healing. He pulled out the spear, and threw it back to Issei. The boy caught it with ease, though he stared at his weapon, feeling as if he was holding something that defied explanation.

The reason he could hold it, let alone wield it...was because he was a descendant of a hero...Was that why Scathach accepted his request to learn how to fight from her…?

"You know..." Zelretched hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I'd thought he'd be a bit more lean and fit, not a emo-looking brat."

Issei's eyes narrowed, steam pouring out of his ears as his face turned red. "Who the hell are you calling emo?!" he snapped angrily. "I'm perfectly normal and sane, thank you! And who the hell are you supposed to me, old man?!"

"As I said earlier," Karna said. "He is-"

"I get that he's Big Sis' boss, I want to know WHO he is!"

He didn't want to hear the fact that he was their boss; he wanted to know who he was and what was so strange about him!

"Oh, now that's just mean, Ise-chan~" Zelretch pouted. "And here I was thinking that we could be friends!"

"...honestly, you old troll," a clam voice spoke out from behind. The group turned, finding the speaker walking right behind Zelretch. "Can't you go one second without pissing someone off?"

The Dead Apostle turned around, his expression lit up in jubilation. "Ah, EMIYA-kun, so nice of you to join us!"

Issei looked at the newcomer, and for a moment, he wondered if the man was a foreigner. He was quite tall, being only a head and a half short of the towering giant that was Iskander. He had tanned skin, dark brown eyes, and snow white hair, which was short and somewhat spiky. He wore a black suit with a red shirt underneath, complete with a black tie with red lines running through it. "Director," Karna said respectfully. "I wasn't aware that you were also coming."

The man called EMIYA sighed. "Well, when I heard that a certain old man decided to give Scathach's brat a visit, I wasn't left with much choice," he said in clear annoyance. "Old goat causes enough trouble as is."

"Oh, that hurts, EMIYA-kun."

The Director of the Grand Order snorted. "As if it did," he said before turning to Issei. "So...your Scathach's brat, eh? You certainly don't look like much." Issei growled at this, though EMIYA didn't seem concerned. "Though, then again, you are only a brat. Not even of age yet."

"Stop calling me that!" The boy snapped. "I am not a brat! I'm thirteen! I'm already a teenager!"

Scathach giggled, casting aside her previous melancholy. "Unfortunately, Issei," she said teasingly. "You aren't fully a teen until you're seventeen!"

"Nonsense!" Iskandar disagreed. "The boy's already a man! He's fought with a King!"

Karna rolled his eyes. "Iskandar, you aren't a King YET," he corrected the burly man. "You are a descendant of one."

"Bah, details!" The descendant of the King of Conquerors waved off the technicality. It was only a matter of time. He was destined to become King and surpass his ancestor.

Issei felt his eyebrow twitch. "Can't somebody just tell me what's going on?!"

"Relax, brat," EMIYA retorted, fueling Issei's anger further. "Keep your panties on." He turned to Zelretch. "Oi, old man...mind bringing us to the main branch?"

"Why, certainly!" Zelretch grinned as he snapped his fingers. Before Issei could argue with the two, they all vanished from the field.

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

"...WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

Issei cried in outrage. Who could blame him? After what he just witnessed...

Rather than the training field, they were now inside some sort of grand hall...no, scratch that. It was far too big to be called a hall. It was more like a gigantic room unto itself. The walls were at least ten meters high, colored a vibrant, almost gold yellow. Equipment was gathered all over the place, almost like it was a giant tech center of some kind. The floor was a black and white checkered pattern, but in the center was a golden marker with some sort of glyph. inside. Sitting on the wall at the very end of the room was a gigantic set of clocks, three in all, each connected to each other with giant pendulums swinging back and forth.

The numbers listed on the clocks' faces were different, most likely depending on the timezone. Nevertheless, it was a marvelous sight...but in Issei's case...he's wondering what the hell just happened.

"Wh-Where are we...?!"

"My office," EMIYA answered. He smirked. "Welcome to the Grand Order, brat."

"O-Office...You mean...YOU MEAN THIS FREAKINGLY HUGE ROOM IS YOUR FREAKING OFFICE?! YOU'RE SHITTIN ME, RIGHT?!" Said brat yelled.

In response, he received a whack to the head, courtesy of Scathach. "Again, language!"

"Yes, brat," EMIYA nodded. "This is my office. Now quit yelling. It's annoying."

Issei grumbled in response. Well excuse him for freaking out like that...when he had experience several shocking things in the span of the past twenty minutes!

"So, what am I even doing here?" he asked. "Moreover, what the hell is this me being a descendant of some hero? A-and what's this Grand Order thing?!"

"...The Grand Order is an organization composed of Heroic Descendants." EMIYA answered calmly. "Our purpose is to protect the world from the forces that wish to disrupt its harmony. In other words, we exist to erase anything that threats the natural balance of the Earth."

"Issei," Karna spoke up. "Have you ever read anything about Devils, Angels, or even Gods?"

"Y-yeah..."

Ever since the Oni attack five years ago, Scathach thought it would be best for him to learn about the the Supernatural world. So she taught him about the Three Factions, various Pantheons such as the Celtic Pantheon, and Youkai.

He knew about the war that was held hundreds of years ago between the Biblical Factions. The Angels and the Devils and the Fallen Angels fought in a three-way war that had nearly brought them close to extinction. Many of the 72 Pillars perished, and many Angels died. Supposedly, even the Voice of God himself died. However...the casualties were much worse than that. Satan, the Progenitor of Devils, and even the Four Great Devils; Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan, and Asmodaeus, had perished in the conflict.

Even God Himself died.

It was a bloody war with no true winner. After so many casualties on every side, the three factions called a ceasefire, unable to withstand any more losses.

Of course, that didn't mean the hostilities had truly come to an end. There were still a great many events happening in the world as a result of tensions. The incident from five years ago was one such event. From what he learned from Scathach, the Oni was apart of a rebellious group of Youkai that wanted to overthrow the current leader, Yasaka. In short, it was a gigantic heap of problems with no clear solution. There were even major conflicts that went on unknown to them.

And that was where the Grand Order came in.

"So...let me get this straight," Issei said, trying to process this information. "This...Grand Order thing is basically one giant group of people who have the blood of heroes in them, and they're against this supernatural terrorist group called the Khaos Brigade."

EMIYA nodded. "Correct."

"And there's this other group of heroes called the Hero Faction, but they're methods are questionable, and because of that, you guys don't get along with them."

"Again, correct. The Hero Faction's numbers comprise only of those who wield Sacred Gears. Few of their members actually have one, and they only seek humans with noteworthy potential. However, unlike most of us here, they are not willing to find a middle or common ground with any other species."

Issei frowned. "Kind of hypocritical, don't you think?" he asked. "I mean, if they're supposed to be "heroes," why are you working for demonic and evil terrorists?"

"Our thoughts exactly, boy!" Iskandar smirked. "And that's why we true heroes are in opposition against them! We don't give a damn who's human and who's not! So long as there is a possibility of peace, we will take it!"

EMIYA nodded in agreement, yet his face remained stern. "However, peace isn't made with petty words alone," he spoke coldly. "In order to obtain peace, action is required. And that...is where we come in."

"So...you guys pretty much intervene and stop those guys from creating even more chaos?"

"In layman terms, yes." Karna nodded.

"...and what does any of this have to do with me?"

"Because brat..." EMIYA responded. "...You are going to be joining the Order."

A second passed. Two, then three.

Finally-

"...EEEEEEEEEEEH?!"

 **-Chapter 1: END-**

Next Time:

"The heck do you mean I'm joining the Order?!"

"Hmhmhm~ I wonder how my Little Sis back in Kyoto is doing? Guess it's time to check up on her!"

"Heh, it's a bit crazy at first, but trust me man, it gets pretty fun shortly afterward!"

"Greetings, Hyoudou-kun. I am Gilgamesh, member of the Archer Unit. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

 **Chapter 2: The Hound of Chulainn, Reborn! Pierce Through!**

"Raaaaaagh...! DDRAIG!"

 **[DRAGON OVERBOOSTER!]**

 **XXXXX**

 **I have a poll set up to determine which character will be part of Issei's Team in the Grand Order as Archer. Please check it out and vote.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Co-Written with Otaku-Nation666, a good friend of mine and Demons Anarchy of Pride and the author of many great works like Tokyo Mirage Sesions: Apocalypse, RWBY Riders: Spirit of Legend, High School DxD: Destiny's Play, RWBY: Within Enlightened Heart, RWBY –Apocrypha-, Fabulae Parcae, Fate: Rebellion, Law of the Jungle, and many others.**

 **I highly recommend you guys check them out.**

 **Thanks for helping me with this Otaku, really appreciate it.**

 **This idea was based on the story Holding All the Cards by Drow79(an awesome fic that you all should read), and the mobile game, Fate Grand Order.**

 **And so the winner of the poll to decide the Archer of Issei's squad is….Atalanta with 70 votes!**

 **Gilgamesh in second with 50 votes.**

 **Arjuna with 13.**

 **And finally Robin Hood with 4.**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 2: The Hound of Chulainn, Reborn! Pierce Through!**

"The heck do you mean I'm joining the Order?!" Issei screamed in indignation.

The brunette was still left shocked by what he was just told. It came completely out of left field, and could hardly believe it. He had just been told what the Grand Order was...and now these people wanted him to join?!

"Yes," EMIYA said. "Did I stutter?"

"But...but...but...why me...?" The boy asked.

Scathach sighed. "Were it up to me, Ise," she said with a frown. "We would be doing this much later...but things have changed."

"Like what?!"

"We're aren't the only heroes around," Zelretch said. "There's another group called the Hero Faction. Supposedly, they have "descendants" of heroes with their souls, whereas our order has actual descendants. We know for a fact they are who they are, plus a few reincarnations of heroes, like yourself!"

"I fail to see why this involves me."

"The Hero Faction belongs to a terrorist organization called the Khaos Brigade," Iskandar informed him. "Its numbers compose of several groups, most of which belong to the supernatural world. The Hero Faction wants a world where humans are free from their control...in other words, human supremacy." His eyes narrowed as he folded his arms. "They claim to be heroes, but they are hypocrites! Those who side with monsters while wanting a world free of them are monsters themselves!"

"Every member of the Hero Faction has humans who possess Sacred Gears," EMIYA stated. "As you are a descendant of Cu Chulainne, the Hound of Ulster and Ireland's Child of Light, as well as the holder of a Sacred Gear, you're naturally on their radar."

"So...they're going to try and recruit me for their team?" He questioned.

"Yes. And even if you refuse, they are pretty persistent. They won't hesitate to use some more...drastic measures to persuade you..."

The way the silver-haired man let those words hang in the air didn't leave much to imagination. Issei seemed to get what he was implying, and for a moment, his eyes flashed a familiar shade of red. "They touch my family, I'm going to run them through with my spear!" he snarled.

"Heh. I like the fire in your eyes, boy." EMIYA chuckled before frowning. "However, that alone isn't enough against their forces. As it stands, you're just a kid up against a group of experienced Sacred Gear users who had years of training under their belts. Right now, they could kill your family and you wouldn't be able to do a thing about it."

"That being said," Zelretch added. "If you join up with this, there's nothing to worry about! Not only will they be unable to touch you, they'll hesitate to take any action."

"And why is that?" What would make them so hesitant in attack if he was with the Order?

Scathach grinned. "Because the Director kicked their leader's ass."

Issei whipped his head to face his sister. Then back at EMIYA. Then back and forth. "Are...are you for real?!"

EMIYA shrugged. "Well, their leader ain't anything to sneeze at," he said, almost in disinterest. "But his skills were completely lackluster."

"Yeah. If I recall, you were saying that he was a total noob who was overly reliant with his weapon and neglected to polish his skills?" Zelretch questioned.

"Pretty much."

Issei sweat-dropped. "...wow, he's..."

"A real piece of work?" Karna said with a wry smile. "If you think he's interesting, wait until you meet everyone else."

Issei had mixed feelings about this. After meeting Iskandar, he somewhat dreaded what the others would be like. But he held hope that not all of them were like the descendent of the King of Conquerors and were relatively normal. He was actually excited for that aspect.

"...out of curiosity, who else is here?"

Both EMIYA and Zelretch had small grins on their faces...something that worried Issei greatly.

However, before any of them could answer, they heard the sounds of door opening. "Ohayo, Director-san! Troll-san!" a cheery female voice called out. "We've come to say hi!"

"Actually," a young voice corrected. "We're here to give our report."

Issei turned to see the new arrivals...and his eyes widened. "A kid and...is-is she a fox?!"

The boy's focus was directed to the two figures entering the room. The one on the right looked to be around his age, if not younger. His hair was like pun gold, or possibly sunlight. His eyes were blood red and almost had slits for pupils. He wore a pair of green pants, a white long sleeved shirt, a pair of white sneakers, and a black hooded jacket with a checkered pattern on the hood.

The one next to him was quite unusual in Issei's eyes...given the fact that she had a pair of fluffy fox ears on her head and a fluffy fox tail wagging behind her. She was a girl around his age dressed in a blue kimono with black sleeves. Her long hair was pink and tied up in a pair of pig tails. Her yellow eyes shone with content and mirth. She had a carefree expression as she waved to the group.

"Ah, Gil-kun!" Zelretch grinned. "Tama-chan! Just the people I wanted to see!" The old man then turned to face Issei, who was still shocked to see a woman with fox-like features. "Ise-kun, allow me to introduce two other members of the Grand Order! The beautiful lady is Tamamo-no-Mae, descendant of the fox priestess and incarnation of Amaterasu herself, and the youngster is Gilgamesh, reincarnation of the King of Urk!"

The boy was further stunned. These two were members of the Order as well?...wait...one of them was a reincarnated King...and the other the incarnation of the Goddess Amaterasu...?!

"...EEEEEH?!"

Karna chuckled. "Hard to believe, but it's true," he said before turning to the two with a smile. "Your Majesty, Tama, welcome back."

Upon being addressed with such formality, the golden-haired boy frowned. "Oh, come on, Karna..." he groaned. "How many times have I told you? Just call me Gil! I'm not a King anymore."

The Demi-God descendant shook his head. "While it may be true, you are still the King of Heroes. Your feats deserve to be respected."

Tamamo giggled. "May as well give it up, Gil-chan!" she said with a fanged grin. "You know how Ka-cchi is!" She turned her attention back to EMIYA and Zelretch, but then noticed Issei. "Ara? Who's this? A new recruit?"

"Indeed." EMIYA nodded. "His name is Issei Hyoudou. He is a Sacred Gear wielder and the descendent of the Irish Hound, Cu Chulainn."

"Really?!" Tamamo's eyes widened before smiling happily, clapping her hands together. "So he's the one Scathy-chan liked to talk about!"

Issei was confused for a moment, as he didn't know anyone by that name, before realization sparked, and turned to his teacher. "You...talked about me?"

The violet-haired woman shrugged. "What?" she said innocently. "Is it wrong for a teacher to talk about her student?"

"Not really but..." He didn't really expect her to talk about him with descendants of other Heroes...

"Nice to meet you, Ise-chan!" the youkai greeted with a smile. "I'm Tamamo-no-Mae, member of the Caster Unit! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Caster Unit?"

Zelretch nodded, and filled Issei in. "The Grand Order has seven different units, each aligned with our members' fighting styles and abilities. Saber Unit is mostly sword masters, devoting their lives to the way of the blade. Lancer Unit is the one Karna-kun belongs to. As the name implies, it's for those of great agility and master spearmen! Then there's Archer Unit. The name speaks for itself; they always aim to hit their mark, and they never miss! Caster Unit is for magic users who are particularly skilled in their craft. Tama-chan belongs to that unit. The Rider Unit is Iskandar's placement, and they take to the battlefield atop their steeds. They're something of all-rounders, having no real preference, but steer clear when they're charging onward into battle. Then there's the Assassin Unit, who's name also speaks for itself. Stealthy, silent, and sharp as a knife, aiming to kill in the shadows. Finally, there's Berserker Unit, who's members are utter powerhouses...especially when you piss them off!"

"Each team has one member from these units," EMIYA continued. "Having seven members in total. We also have someone to supervise the brats, as well as a leader to command the team. We also have reserve members on board as well, in case something happens." A smirk tugged at his lips, causing Issei to frown. "Also...if I were you, brat, I'd be on guard right now."

"Eh? Why?"

Zelretch cackled like a madman. "Make sure to take a deep breath now!"

"What's that supposed to-?!"

Issei was cut off as he felt something pick him up off the ground, pulled him in for a bone-crushing hug, and spun him around. After taking the time to process what just happened, he found Tamamo's face extremely close to his. In fact, she was nuzzling her cheek against his as if he were some form of stuffed animal. It didn't really help the fact that the woman had a hold as strong as iron. He struggled to breathe as his windpipe was being restricted by the tight hug. His face was slowly turning purple. "Ooh, I'm so happy!" she gushed as she began to spin around happily on her heel. "It's super duper nice to meet you! Let's be GOOD friends, Ise-chan!"

"C-can't...breathe...!" His face was now turning blue.

Iskandar sighed. "Tamamo, let the poor boy go! He's losing oxygen!"

"Aw...do I have to...? He is just so adorable~" She cooed she nuzzled her cheek against his blue face for emphasis.

EMIYA sighed. "Tamamo...let him go."

"Aw..." The priestess pouted, but did as she was asked. As soon as she released her hold on him, Issei stumbled back, gasping for air.

As he took great gulps of oxygen, the body landed on his rear.

'A-Air!...Sweet, sweet air...!' he thought with relief.

"Are you okay?" Gilgamesh asked him.

He nodded. "K-kind of..." He took the boy's hand, pulling himself up. "S-so...your seriously Gilgamesh? As in THE Gilgamesh?"

"Indeed," the boy smiled kindly. I am Gilgamesh, member of the Archer Unit! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"I-it's nice to meet you as well..." Issei shook the boys hand before letting it go.

He was still stunned by everything. First he learned when he got older than his "older sister" just happened to be the teacher to Cu Chulainne, the master spearman of Ireland, then later he meets the freaking descendant of Iskandar, also known as Alexander the Great, the King of Conquerors, and recently, he just found out about the order, and the not long after, he meets a fox girl and the reincarnation of the freaking first King! This was all just...too much. Too much things happening too fast.

"So," EMIYA turned to the two, hands in his pockets. "What's your report?"

The expressions of the two newcomers turned serious as they related the details of what they experienced on the mission.

"I see..." EMIYA nodded. "Anything else?"

"While we don't know much," Gilgamesh said. "We did interrogate one of the survivors. Apparently, Kurama Tengu is planning a revolt against Yasaka."

Tension filled the air in the room. EMIYA's eyes narrowed while the expressions of the rest of the descendants became stern. Issei would feel the heaviness around him.

"A revolt?" Zelretch frowned. "Well, that's a rather stupid move to make, given that Yasaka's enforces are the Night Parade of 100 Demons."

"Indeed. However, Kurama Tengu is pretty adamant in following through with this. This fact alone seems as if he has a trick or two up his sleeve to produce such confidence of success." Gilgamesh deducted.

Issei was even more confused. What the hell were they talking about? Eventually, he raised his hand. "Sorry, but..." he spoke, expressing his confusion. "What's going on? And what's this Night Parade of 100 Demons?"

All eyes turned to the boy. They were so caught up the situation that they actually forgot about him.

"The Night Parade of 100 Demons," Scathach explained. "Are a powerful group of youkai who overthrew the previous Lord of Pandemonium, the ruler of Kyoto, during the Edo Period. They're regarded as one of the most powerful groups of youkai to have ever existed, a fact that still persists to this day. Its leader is Nurarihyon, one of the oldest youkai. Now, however, they serve under Yasaka, the current leader."

"Who's also my adorable imouto~" Tamamo quipped with a goofy smile. "I haven't seen her in sooo long! I heard she also has a cute little girl now too!"

"Back on track," EMIYA sighed. "The Night Parade, while they are enforcers, are still quite powerful. If they chose to rebel, Yasaka would be powerless to stop them. That being said, she's not weak. She's a Nine-Tailed Fox, a powerful race of kitsune. Dealing with her is the same as facing the wrath of an Ultimate-Class Devil. However, she and Nurarihyon are close allies, so the idea of him going against her is unlikely." A frown marred his face as he leaned back, folding his arms over his chest. "But why is Kurama Tengu revolting against her? And now?"

"I do not know." Gilgamesh shook his head in dismay.

Zelretch sighed. "Well, isn't this a lovely situation?" he said sarcastically. "Seems like the Order's going to Kyoto earlier then expected, eh Emiya-kun?"

"Seems so..." the tanned-skinned man said before turning to Scathach. "Scathach...how many people from your unit are ready to go?"

"Well, since Tamamo just got back, we have three members ready to go, including Iskandar and Hercules. Jack, Mordred, and Atalanta are off on another mission."

EMIYA sighed. "Well, better than nothing..." he said before turning to Karna. "And you, Karna?"

"I should be able to accompany them as well." The Demigod nodded.

EMIYA gave him a nod. "Alright then." He then turned to Issei. "Okay, brat...looks like your getting your first mission already."

"Wait, what?!" the boy shouted, looking like a dear in headlights. "But I haven't even decided if I want to be in your little group!"

Zelretch chuckled. "Sorry, boyo, but you don't have a choice in the matter," he said cheekily. "Besides, think of it this way! You can finally get that lazy dragon in your arm off its lazy ass!"

"Lazy dragon...? What are you talking about?!" He demanded.

"He's talking about your Sacred Gear, Ise," his teacher told him. "Right now, it's in a sealed state...however, once it awakens, you'll understand what he means." A thin smile formed on her face as she walked over, patting him on the shoulder. "In the meantime, let's go...the Director was right in saying you not having any choice, but that doesn't mean you won't have a normal life. Just think of this as a side job."

"A side job? We're talking now about keeping the supernatural world in order! I'm pretty sure this counts as a big deal!" He rebutted.

"Aw, come on!" the old troll cackled. "This is your chance to be a real-life superhero my boy!"

Issei opened his mouth to rebuke-

"Hey, Ise! One day, let's become heroes of justice!"

-only for words to fail him, as the image of his childhood friend, Irina Shido, popped into his mind.

A hero of justice...that was what he promised his friend when he was younger. Before she had to move away...

They never did make good of that promise back then...and he was given a chance right here and now.

"...something tells me I'm going to regret this." The youth sighed as she shook his head. He lifted his chin and looked at the leaders in the eye. "Alright...against my better judgment and sanity...I'm in."

"Good. Sanity is overrated." Zelretch gave him a thumbs up.

EMIYA groaned. "Word to the wise, kid," he told Issei straight. "Whatever comes out of this troll's mouth, don't listen to a word of it."

"Got it." Issei nodded. After speaking with the Dead Apostle, he realized that he should just ignore what he says for his better judgment.

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

After being dragged along by Karna, Issei was given the opportunity to meet the team that Scathach was charged with looking after as it's mentor.

He was already acquainted with Tamamo and Iskandar from earlier, but the person in front of him was a different matter entirely. One word appeared in the youth's mind:

"...Colossal..."

Iskandar was being, but the man in front of him practically made it seem like he was a dwarf. He must have been at least 9 feet tall, wearing only a pair of cargo pants and heavy boots, with said pants having several tears, looking extremely worn. His body was dark skinned, and his hair was messy, falling down to his waist, some of his bangs covering his eyes. Scars littered every part of his muscled body...and he was talking about extreme muscled. The hard-core body builders had NOTHING on him.

All in all...he was a behemoth that made Issei squeak back in slight terror.

The man's red eyes stared right into his chocolate brown ones, as if trying to discern his character.

"...h-hey there, big guy..." Issei waved at the giant awkwardly. "L-lovely weather, huh?"

"Ah, I see you've met Hercules," Karna smiled. "Quite the giant, no?"

"Are you kidding?" Issei whispered back. "He's the same size as the Oni I met as a kid, and he's twice as terrifying!"

"Well, despite appearances, Hercules is actually quite an amiable individual."

"Only when he's calm~" Tamamo quipped as she strolled up to the two. "When he gets angry, well...let's just say your better off hiding away from the carnage."

The fact that she said it all with a chipper smile on her face perturbed Issei even more.

"Alright, that's enough," Karna chastised her. "Quit scaring him, Caster."

"Mou...I'm not scaring him!" She pouted.

Issei begged to differ. He quickly decided to change the subject. "S-so...Big Sis mentioned other people on this team too...who are they?"

"Their names are Mordred, Jack, and Atalanta. They are members of the Saber, Assassin, and Archer units, respectively. However, they are on a different mission right now and unable to meet with us." She explained.

"Saber? Assassin?"

Karna nodded. "As the Director told you, each one of us is either a reincarnation of a hero, or their descendant. Depending on our skills, we fall into seven different units, each one pertaining to a team. Mordred is the descendant of Mordred Le Flay, so she is the Saber, and the leader of this team. Jack is the reincarnation of Jack the Ripper, thus she is Assassin. Last is Atalanta, who is the reincarnation of the maiden of the same name. She's of the Archer Unit...and she doesn't like men."

"...wait, you mean you have the reincarnation of a serial killer on your team?!" the descendant of Chulainne gawked in disbelief. "Are you nuts?!"

"Issei, just because ones previous existence may have a less than reputable history doesn't make their current one the same as them." He said sternly. "Despite what one may think, Jack isn't really what you'd think her to be."

Issei was still shocked by what he heard, but nonetheless nodded dumbly. How else was he supposed to react to that? They said they were descendants of heroes, but he never expected to hear anything about a freaking serial killer being apart of that list!

Seriously! Since when was an infamous serial killer counted as a hero?!

Alright, enough of that," Scathach said as she clapped her hands. "It's time to get going. Even though Saber, Archer, and Assassin aren't here, we have Karna here to pick up the slack, as well as your newest Lancer, Issei Hyoudou." Hercules simply gave a gruff nod, a grunt as his only sound, while Tamamo grinned as she held up a sign of victory. Iskandar grinned like a madman as he patted Issei on the back...hard. He nearly doubled over and fell flat on his face. "Unfortunately, neither Ruler or Avenger will be joining us."

"Huh? Ruler? Avenger? Who are you talking about?" Issei questioned. It was the first he heard of those two.

"Guess Director-san forgot to mention that," Tamamo giggled. "He's silly like that."

Karna sighed. "Each team has its own...reserve member, or guardian. Lady Scathach is our supervisor. In other words, our teacher. While normally those of the Saber Unit act as leader of a team, there are a few exceptions. Those exceptions are Rulers. I suppose you could say they're the strongest, but also the most few in number. In case you're wondering, there are only two members of the Ruler Unit."

Issei's eyes widened. Only two members? "O...kay, and what about Avenger?"

"Avenger is a bit like the Berserker Unit," Karna explained. "Only they aren't quite as volatile when you piss them off. Regardless, they're powerful in their own right. Unlike others, Ruler leads her own unit, with Avenger as one of the members. As for us, we do have a reserve member on board."

"Really? Who?"

"...sorry I'm late."

An unfamiliar female voice interjected in the room. The rest of the group turned to her, and Issei felt his eyes widen.

'...SOOO CUUUUTE!'

The young teenager thought, his hormones kicking in.

In front the group was a young girl, probably around the same age as Issei, bearing shoulder length pinkish silver hair, and bluish purple eyes. Her attire left little to the imagination, as it consisted of black leggings with purple highlights with a black band around her right thigh, and some kind of armor that was more like a leotard, leaving the midriff of her stomach exposed, yet clothing her lower nether regions. A metal skirt was around her hips, along with iron around her neck, acting like a shield for the vulnerable part of her body. She also wore gloves that went up to her biceps, also having purple highlights that moved from her pinky and index finger and up to the edge. On her back was the largest shield he had ever seen, easily bigger than herself. It was twice her size, and it seemed to have a cross-like portion to it, as to long protrusions extended in opposing directions.

However, he found himself staring at her chest, which was also covered in armor. His eyes were practically glued to it, face heating up. He felt his heart skip a beat.

"Issei," Karna snapped him out of it. "You're doing it again."

"Wh-wh-what?!" Issei questioned, shaking his head. Dammit. He got distracted again.

Scathach couldn't help but giggle. "Already falling for dear Masshu, my adorable student?" she teased, causing Issei to splutter. "Teasing aside, meet our reserve member Masshu; Shielder."

"...hello," the girl greeted, bowing her head.

"N-nice to meet you." Issei bowed as well. But then his brow furrowed. Shielder? Was that another Unit? Confused by this, he inquired about it with his teacher.

"No, Shielder isn't a Unit," she shook her head. "Think of it as a position than a Unit. Unlike the others here, Masshu has the soul of a heroic spirit inside of her, rather being a reincarnation or descendant."

"Soul of a Heroic spirit...? Wait, how does that work?"

"A long time ago," Karna explained. "There was a project designed specifically to control the powers of Heroic Spirits by binding them to a compatible mortal vessel. We're not entirely sure how exactly the process is done, but Masshu is proof that the concept exists."

"Hold on! So...it was human experimentation?!" Issei asked in bewilderment.

"It was." He nodded. There was no use beating around the bush or sugar coating it. It was what it was.

Science had done many things to advance its way into other fields. However, human experimentation was an event that must never be done, no matter the circumstance. It was a forbidden practice, an art that must never be exercised. Issei felt rage flare in his heart, hands clenched into fists. "T-those...bastards...!"

"Language!" Scathach rapped her knuckled on his head.

"It's fine," Masshu stated, much to his shock as he whirled around to face her. Her tone was set evenly, as if in acceptance. "I knew what the project was about, and went along with it willingly. Besides..." her face softened, as her hands fumbled together. "...there's someone I want to protect with this strength. That's why I became Shielder...to be the shield who defends them from whatever may come."

"Someone...to protect...?" The boy questioned. He felt a sense of empathy in those words. After all...they were the same words he recited five years ago after nearly getting killed by the Oni. However, rather than a shield, he took up the spear.

Masshu nodded.

"...heh...a shield to defend, huh? " Issei chuckled lightly. "Sounds good."

Tamamo giggled. "Aw, he's such a softie~"

"Hey!"

"Alright, enough chit-chat, boys and girls," Scathach said, her tone becoming cold. Issei immediately stood straighter, and his grip on Gae Bolg tightened. He recognized the tone of voice easy. "Our task is to find Kurama Tengu and put down his uprising. I trust you all understand this?"

"Of course, Scathach-sensei!" Tamamo responded with a salute. "After all, Yasaka-chan's involved in this! No way I'm sitting this one out!" A moment later, she giggled softly. "Hmhmhm~ I wonder how my Little Sis back in Kyoto is doing anyhow? Guess it's time to check up on her!"

"Understood." Karna nodded as he readied his own spear.

"...Acknowledged." Came the deep, heavy voice of Hercules.

Masshu gave a nod, eyes steely, while Tamamo grinned wickedly, blue fire dancing around her. Iskandar cracked his knuckles and shoulders, a manic grin spread across his face. "Hahahahaha! Time for another conquest!" he boomed with laughter before turning to Issei. "What say you, Hound of Ulster? Feel up for a hunt?"

"Not really sure, considering I never done this before..." Issei dead panned. But then he twirled Gae Bolg in his hands. "But...if I can do something to save others, then why the hell not?"

"Again! Language!" The Witch of the Shadowlands smacked him upside the head.

Iskandar boomed again. "That's the spirit!"

"Good grief," Karna sighed. "Sounds like the King of Conquests is about to get rather rowdy again...makes me wish Archer was here to keep him in check."

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

"A-achoo!"

"...you okay, nee-sama?"

"I'm fine, Jack...someone's probably talking about me."

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

Kyoto...one of the grandest cities in all of Japan, perhaps rivaling even that of the nation's capital, Tokyo. Issei had always wanted to visit the place one day...and today he got his wish. He just wished that it wasn't out of dire circumstances...

"...whoa."

"I know, right?" Tamamo said with pride in her voice as she pumped out her chest, folding her arms beneath her breasts, causing them to bounce. Issei felt his body twitch, but resisted the urge to stare at her finer portions. Seriously, why did she have to show off that much cleavage?! "Compared to Tokyo, Kyoto is the true shining jewel of Japan! After all, my adorable imouto rules here, protecting all the Youkai!"

"But if that's the case...then why aren't you the one ruling?" Issei asked her. The fox-eared girl looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you are the older sister, right? Then why aren't you the one ruling Kyoto instead of Yasaka-san?"

There was a moment of awkward silence between them; following it was the sound of crickets. "W-well..." Tamamo poked her index fingers together, a blush on her face. "Y-you see...I had, um, other priorities to deal with, s-so I left Yasaka-chan to rule in my place..."

"What kind of stuff?"

"T-that's, ah..."

Iskander groaned. "Oh, for Pete's sake, girl!" he snapped. "Just tell him you chose to leave the position to your sister so you could marry that boy you were so fond of!

"I-ISKY!"

As soon as Issei heard this, his mouth dropped down to the floor, and his eyes bulged. "WAIT, YOU'RE MARRIED?!

"Yep." Karna nodded. "The eldest sibling left out of love and left responsibility of governing Kyoto to her younger sibling."

Tamamo's face became red as she pouted, stomping her foot on the ground childishly. "Don't say it like that!" she snapped. "You make it seem like I ran out on my adorable imouto! Also, for the record, hubby is a wonderful man!"

"Isn't that what you did in a nutshell, though?"

"SHUT UP!"

The Demigod held his hands up in defense. He was just saying it like it is.

"Alright boys. I think that enough teasing Tamamo for today." Scathach clapped her hands.

Everyone turned to her as she held her own spear up on her shoulders. "It's time to get going. We need to meet up with Nurarihyon and inform him of what's happening."

"Eh?" Issei blinked. "Wait, why him? Shouldn't we just tell Yasaka-san?"

His mentor shook her head. "It's not that easy, Issei."

"Yasaka is the Ruler of Kyoto, thus she does not receive any ordinary visitors," Karna explained. "If we tried to tell her, she would be quite suspicious of us, regardless if Tamamo is with us. However, if we were to bring this to the attention of Nurarihyon, the leader of the Night Parade of 100 Demons, and manage to convince him of what Kurama Tengu is planning, then we would have quite the valuable ally, as well as someone who could vouch for us. Plus, Nurarihyon and Kurama Tengu are not exactly on good terms."

"Why's that?"

"A long time ago," Tamamo explained. "Kurama Tengu tried to usurp Nurarihyon-chan's position. For as long as I remember, Nurarihyon-chan's family bloodline has always acted as the primary leading force behind the Night Parade, with only one or two leaders not affiliated with it. Plus, Kurama Tengu was regarded for his rather questionable behavior, so naturally, Nurarihyon-chan wasn't about to let him take over. Since then, they've had it out for each other ever since."

"So it was all about who would rule the Night Parade?"

Karna nodded. "As we've said before, the Night Parade of 100 Demons are quite powerful. They are enough to overpower even someone like Yasaka. Not only that, but it has been an unspoken rule that whoever leads the Night Parade is the Lord of Pandemonium."

"Lord of...Pandemonium?"

Issei asked. The very name sounded ominous.

"It is a title of one who is known as the Supreme Commander of all Yokai." Scathach explained.

"In the past, those who held that title were considered to be the ruler of all of Kyoto. Even now, that title still holds weight. Even though Yasaka is now the leader of the Youkai Faction, it is still Nurarihyon who commands them. It is why he became her enforcer, to ensure that no youkai would dare betray the peace of the supernatural world...lest they face the consequences."

"The Supreme Commander is a forced to be reckoned with," Iskandar added with glee. "It is said he participated in the Great War, and stood with Michael of Heaven at a draw. That is a feat few can accomplish."

Issei nodded in understanding, but then realization flashed by his mind. "So that's why Kurama Tengu wants the title for himself!" he said, putting a fist into his palm. "If he could become Supreme Commander, he could overthrow Yasaka!"

"Indeed." Karna nodded grimly. "That is why we cannot let that happen. If Kurama Tengu does that, it will bring chaos to the world. Because not only does Yasaka lead the Youkai Faction, but she also manages the leylines of Kyoto."

"Leylines?" Issei questioned. "What are those?"

"Think of them as magical veins," Tamamo explained. "They run throughout all of Japan, and Kyoto has the most of these magical veins. Even more than that, some intersect with one another. When bundled up, massive amounts of mana seep out. If a magician were to tap into this power, they would be beyond powerful."

"In the hands of Kurama Tengu," Scathach said with a heated glare. "It is the worst possible weapon."

"That's right." Masshu nodded in agreement. "That is why we must stop him."

"Well count me in." Issei nodded, now hearing the severity of the situation. "No way in hell am I gonna let that bastard ruin the world out of a sense of stupid pride and greed!"

And once more, he felt the sharp pain of getting hit in the back of the head.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Watch your language, Issei!" Scathach scolded.

The descendant of the King of Conquerors boomed with laughter. "That's the spirit, boy!" he said, flashing a grin. "Now then, where do we find Nurarihyon? I imagine he must be quite difficult to find, if he is the Supreme Commander!"

Tamamo let out a rather awkward chuckle. "Not...really..."

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

"...you're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not. This is seriously where he lives, Ise-chan."

Issei stared at the building before home in utter disbelief. Karna however raised an eyebrow. "...I see the man is not afraid to flaunt his apparent status and wealth, if he was able to purchase a mansion that is the size of Osaka Castle."

That was an understatement. The building itself was suitable for the Japanese Imperial Family! He knew Nurarihyon is the Lord of Pandemonium, but this seemed a bit much.

At any rate, they seemed to have the right place, as the brunette could make out two black figure sitting atop the gates, spears in hand with black wings folding out from their backs. "Who are you?!" one of the apparent guards squawked ("Squawked?" Issei muttered. "What are they? Crows?") "Address yourselves! You are trespassing!"

Scathach stepped forward, a hand at her hip as she glared back at the guards, followed by Tamamo, who stood next to her. "I am Scathach, Witch of the Shadow Lands," she announced. "Beside me is Tamamo-no-Mae, older sister of Yasaka, leader of the Youkai! We wish to speak with the Lord of Pandemonium! If you wish to verify our identities, feel free to do so!"

"T-Tamamo-no-Mae-sama?!" The crowd squaked in shock.

One of the guards dropped down. Once they approached, Issei's assumptions were proven correct. They had a humanoid appearance, but they were definitely crows, albeit possessing dark gray arms that held the spears, wearing dark purple haori and a cap atop their heads, along with a dark gray spear in hand. Once they landed in front of the two, the guard's eyes widened. "I-it is you!" he cried before turning to his fellow guard. "Tamamo-no-Mae-sama has returned! Open the gates!"

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

When Issei met with the infamous Lord of Pandemonium, he had expected him to be terrifying, old and wizened with an assortment of scars as if in testament to his power, as well as overbearing and imposing, be him small or tall. Instead, when they entered the apparent meeting room, they had found something else to the contrary.

"My my, to think that Tamamo-no-Mae would return to us, along with Ireland's Witch of the Shadow Lands, and arrive at my front gates...how utterly interesting~"

Nurarihyon, instead of how Issei imagined him, looked very young, almost possibly in his teens, with prominent white hair with the underside of his hair being black, and bearing dark red eyes. He wore a black yukata with a dark blue haori over it, with the insignia of what he assumed to be the mark of the Night Parade branded over it. He sat across from them, one knee raised while the other remained flat on the floor, and one hand over a wooden sword with an inscription branded on it. Unfortunately, Issei wasn't able to read it from where he stood, but nonetheless, appearances aside, the feeling that came from the man was certainly no doubt that he was indeed the Lord of Pandemonium.

Tamamo grinned as she waved at the man. "Long time no see, Nurarihyon-chan~"

"It's certainly been a long time, hasn't it?" Nurarihyon chuckled, smiling. "Tell me, is your dear sister aware of your visit?"

"Nope. But that is why we came to see you."

Nurarihyon raised an eyebrow, but then noticed the presence of Issei, Karna, Iskander, Hercules, and Masshu. "And who might these people be?"

"Students of mine," Scathach answered before pausing. "Well...one of them anyway. The reason we came to you, rather than Yasaka, was a matter regarding the Grand Order."

The youkai's eyes lit up. For a moment, Issei could have sworn he saw excitement in those red eyes of his. "Ah...so that's what this is about," he mused as he leaned back a bit, a sly smile forming across his lips. "I've heard a few rumors about the man known as the Wrought-Iron Magus. They say he's the closest thing humans have come to becoming the killer of gods. If his group has decided to come to me...it must mean something serious, right?"

Tamamo nodded, her face turning serious. "Not long ago, we were tasked with dealing with a group of youkai, who were causing a disturbance in Osaka," she informed. "We dealt with them, but not before interrogating them. It appears their ultimate goal was to try and take over Osaka, and overthrow Take-Minakata."

"Hah!" Nurarihyon laughed. "Fat chance of that! Even though he was defeated by Take-Mikazuchi, Take-Minakata is still powerful among the youkai. A couple of peasants couldn't hope to beat him."

"That may be true, but they had something in their possession...something that concerns not only my imouto, but also myself, as well as the Shinto Pantheon." Tamamo's eyes flashed dangerously, and her tails ruffled up, as if feeling threatened. "The rogue youkai had one of the Sacred Regalia Treasures; the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi."

At this, the Lord of Pandemonium's eyes widened before his expression became one of utmost seriousness. "...are you certain of this?"

"There was no mistaking that sword, which was held by our lord, Susano'o-sama," the descendant of Amaterasu's Avatar answered. "Furthermore, we also learned that the rogues in question belong to the Clan of Kurama Tengu."

Nurarihyon's eyes narrowed. "...I see. So that old man isn't pulling any punches in this little rebellion of his..."

"Wait," Issei's eyes widened as he stepped forward. "You knew?!"

"Doesn't take a genius to know what goes on in that bird brain's head," the youkai scoffed. "Plenty of us know that he wants to take control of Kyoto, and expand its power further. However, because we have no proof, we can't take any action. If we had, Yasakacchi would grant us permission to hunt him down." Then, a wide grin formed across his face. "Although...considering that you just said you took the Kusanagi, that means you retrieved it, right?"

Tamamo smirked as she held out a slip of paper. In seconds, it was engulfed in flames, replaced by a sword.

Issei felt his eyes widen just from the sight of the majestic weapon alone. It was a double edged blade with a beautifully crafted pommel and handle. The blade itself glowed radiantly, the edge so sharp it seemed to cut the very air around it. But the most breathtaking aspect of the weapon was the power emanating from it.

'S-so that's...Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi...'

"I trust," Scathach said with a hint of smugness in her voice. "This serves as proof."

Nurarihyon said nothing as he stood up. As he reached full height, he hefted his boken up to his shoulder, and grinned madly. "...looks like we got what we need," he said, pleased. "Heh, I expected nothing less from ya, Witch of the Shadow Lands." Scathach smirked back at him, which he returned before turning to the others. "So...one of these guys is your student, eh?"

"Yes...why?"

"Well, first of all, I need to thank you. Thanks to you guys, we now have what we need to put down Kurama Tengu's little uprising. He's been a major thorn in our side, recruiting the other youkai to do his dirty work. As the Supreme Commander, the task of dealing with them falls to me, but as you can tell, I can't be everywhere and anywhere. As thanks...why not have a little spar with me?"

The group blinked.

"Truth be told...I want to see what the student of Scathach is capable of," Nurarihyon said as his eyes narrowed. "So, which one of ya kids is the Witch's student?"

Scathach's eyes narrowed, as she bit her lip. This was not what she was expecting...she heard that Nurarihyon had been lacking a challenge for a long time no, and wanted someone he could fight against, someone that could bring him enough trouble. Karna and Hercules, and perhaps Shielder, were the only ones who could perhaps give the man the fight he sought before he became engrossed in his instincts. When it came to battle...the Lord of Pandemonium shows no mercy. She could pass off Karna as her student, given that he was a Demi-God, much like Setanta was, and the descendant of the original Karna at that, but...

"That's me!"

Her eyes widened in fright as Issei stepped forward. The others tried to pull him back, but it was too late. He had revealed himself, and Nurarihyon eyed him like a predator seeking prey. "Huh...a bit on the scrawny side, but..." he drawled as his eyes roamed to the boy's weapon. "...there's no mistaking it." His grin widened further, as he aimed the tip of his wooden sword at him. "So, Gae Bolg's chosen a new wielder, eh? What's your name, kiddo?"

"Issei Hyoudou!" the boy replied.

"Issei...hah, 'honest,' huh? Not bad."

The Youkai grinned as he rested his bokken on his shoulder once more. The youth's eyes did not waver in their gaze. "I like the look in your eyes boy...they're the eyes of a determined warrior..." He then turned on his heel. "Let's go out to the back...that way we can really stretch our legs..."

Issei nodded, and followed the man, thus leaving the group in silence.

A second passed. Two, then three.

"...that boy," Hercules stated. "Is a brave, brave fool."

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

Unfortunately, when they arrived at the apparent training yard, which was the size of a basketball court, the area was surrounded by several spectators, all of which were youkai. Their features were different, ranging from cats with burning blue fur to dogs and bulls and horses, though Issei spotted a couple of human-looking youkai with unnaturally pale skin and light blue hair, all wearing white kimonos. All of them were cheering and whooping loudly. One thing he noticed about all of them were the dark haori they wore. "Are they all...?"

"Yep," Nurarihyon nodded with a proud smile. "All of them are members of my Night Parade."

The descendant of the Irish Hound stared in awe. All of these Youkai...are his subordinates? There were just so many...Out of the corner of his eye, one of the human-looking youkai ran up to Nurarihyon. She was one of the one with pale skin, light blue hair, and wore a white kimono.

"Rikuo ~" She called out. The Lord of Pandemonium turned to her.

"Ah...Tsurara...I thought I told you to call me Nurarihyon when we're with guests…" He told her.

"Ah, gomen…" She bowed apologetically.

Issei tilted his head. "Who's she?" he couldn't help but ask aloud.

"She is Tsurara-chan. She is the Lord of Pandemonium's wife." Tamamo answered.

Issei's eyes widened. He had a feeling he had was doing this a lot lately. "Wait, his wife?!"

"N-Nura-chan, what's going on?" the pale-skinned woman asked, clearly in panic. "Why are you fighting a human?!"

"It's nothing you have to worry about, Tsurara," Nurarihyon told her, ruffling her hair. "It's just a friendly spar is all."

"Fr-Friendly spar?! The last time that happened, the entire courtyard was a mess! Your opponent is still in comatose!" She cried.

Suddenly, Issei felt his heart drop. "S-say what?"

"Aw come on, kiddo," Nurarihyon chuckled. "Don't tell me your getting cold feet already?"

"N-no way!"

The youth denied it. Sure he may be feeling some inclination of fear from Tsurara's words about his previous opponent...but he wouldn't back down now!

"Hahahaha! That's the spirit, kiddo!"

"N-Nura-chan..."

The white-and-black-haired man smiled at his wife, gently poking her forehead. "Don't worry," he assured her. "Everything's gonna be fine."

"Mou..." The Yuki-onna rubbed her forehead. "They better be...otherwise you're on the couch again!"

"Whaaaaat?" Nurarihyon's cool and tough persona broke as he whined like a child being denied ice cream.

Issei couldn't help but sweat-drop at the sight. "Um...not to be rude, but...can we get to fighting already?" he asked politely before bowing his head to Tsurara. "Uh, no offense, Tsurara-san."

"Oh, none taken. I just wanted to remind Nura-chan here about the consequences of his actions." She smiled happily.

Nurarihyon sighed, scratching the back of his head. "You see, kiddo?" he said sarcastically. "My wife is a beautiful sweetheart...but she's a cruel mistress."

"Oh, hush, Nura-chan." She slapped him on the shoulder.

"Anyway..." the youkai smirked as he twirled his bokken around. Tsurara took this as the sign to leave, and quickly joined the spectators. "You ready to go, kid?"

Issei's response was a feral smirk of his own, falling into a stance. His Sacred Gear, Twice Critical, manifested around his wrist.

The Lord of Pandemonium's eyes widened upon seeing the red gauntlet on his hand. While its appearance may be different, there was no mistaking its draconic aura. Suddenly, his shocked expression became gleaming with anticipation. This will surely be one hell of a battle for sure.

"Alright! Now we're talking!"

Then...they clashed.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

Preview for Part 2:

"Raaaaaaaaaagh...! DDRAIG!"

[DRAGON OVERBOOSTER!]

"It's been a long time...onii-sama."

"Say, kid...how would you like to join my Night Parade?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Otaku-Nation666: For those who are confused, the Nurarihyon in this story is Rikuo Nura, not his grandfather. Thank you for reading, and please leave a review! After all, criticism helps!


	3. Chapter 3

**Co-Written with Otaku-Nation666, a good friend of mine and Demons Anarchy of Pride and the author of many great works like Tokyo Mirage Sesions: Apocalypse, RWBY Riders: Spirit of Legend, High School DxD: Destiny's Play, RWBY: Within Enlightened Heart, RWBY –Apocrypha-, Fabulae Parcae, Fate: Rebellion, Law of the Jungle, and many others.**

 **I highly recommend you guys check them out.**

 **Thanks for helping me with this Otaku, really appreciate it.**

 **This idea was based on the story Holding All the Cards by Drow79(an awesome fic that you all should read), and the mobile game, Fate Grand Order.**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 3: Pierce Through! Gae Bolg!**

Clangs resounded in the air as metal clashed against wood. Blood-tinged spear met with wooden sheath in a chaotic dance. Issei stood his ground as he deflected each strike from the Supreme Commander, Nurarihyon. His opponent had a grin of pure exhilaration.

It had been only a few seconds into the fight, and already, Issei felt like he had screwed up. Majorly. The difference between them was clear as he was immediately put on the defensive, using Gae Bolg to defend against the flurry of blows. 'Dammit!' he cursed as he ducked underneath a swing, and tried to repel Nurariyhyon with a thrust, only to find his spear deflected, and forced to bring up the shaft, lest wood strike at him. 'He's not giving me any openings!'

Now that he thought about it, this was pretty much the first time he dueled against a swordsman in his life. For the past five years, all of his sparring matches have been against spear wielders like Scathach and Karna.

He let out a curse as he was forced to evade another strike. Choosing to get some distance and breathing room, Issei leaped away, feet skidding across the earth as he did so. Nurarihyon chose not to follow, instead smiling jovially as he tapped his sword, still in its sheath, atop his shoulder. "What's the matter, kid?" he asked. "Out of breath already?"

The brunette did not answer his opponent as he kept his glare trained on him. He took this brief reprieve as a chance to think of a new course of action.

'Okay, come on, Ise, think, there's gotta be a way to hit the guy in his blind spot...'

Now the good question is...just where the hell is his blind spot?! When he fought against him, he saw no discernible openings. Nurarihyon barely gave him room to even strike back. There was also the fact that the guy hadn't even unsheathed his sword yet. That seemed to piss him off slightly. Was he...holding back his strength, perhaps?

As a fighter, Issei felt insulted. This guy seriously didn't think of him as that much of a threat?

That was rather...insulting. Then again, if the way Nurarihyon was pushing him back was any indication, that was most likely the case. 'Alright, let's try to even the odds a bit!' he thought as he gripped his spear more tightly.

 **[BOOST!]**

The Sacred Gear announced, a green light shining from the gem on the bracer. Nurarihyon smirked. "Ah...finally getting serious, are we?" he said wryly. "Good. I was starting to get bored here."

"I'm just getting started!" Issei retorted as he shot forward like a bullet.

The Supreme Commander of the Youkai shrugged, and intercepted. As a result, Gae Bolg clashed with the wooden sheathe. A shockwave settled through the air, flowing through the ground and causing the clothes of everyone present to rustle. Nurarihyon smiled at Issei, who in turn growled before they broke off engagement, and clashed once again.

"Hm..." Iskandar hummed, scratching his chin. "The boy's got good form. Nice and steady, and aiming for the lower legs. Good strategy, given how much one relies on the legs. That Boost earlier gave him the needed strength."

Karna nodded, but his face still had a troubled frown. "True...but Nurarihyon is far stronger," he stated. "That man has years of experience, whereas Issei had only five years worth. The difference is as clear as day."

"Well, at least it's a spar," Tamamo pointed out. "We still have Nurarihyon-chan's cooperation, so it's okay if he loses...right?"

"Perhaps," Scathach sighed. "However, I'm afraid there's a problem."

"And that is...?"

"...Nurarihyon knows Issei's Sacred Gear, despite it being in it's sealed state," the Witch of the Shadow Lands answered. "And Issei is just like his ancestor, in the worst way possible."

Issei let out a roar of defiance as he vaulted over a swing, thrusting his spear while in midair. Nurarihyon deflected it with ease, smiling all the while.

"He's competitive, and tenacious." Scathach said. "Chances are, even if he loses, he won't stop fighting. Not until his body can't stand anymore."

"Haha! So what if the boy has tenacity? It's an admirable trait!" Iskandar bellowed in laughter.

"That's not the point." The Immortal witch shook her head. "He will end up tearing his body apart from his own stubbornness."

The descendant of the demigod sighed. "He always was thick-headed..."

"...hmph," Hercules huffed, clearly not interested. He was, however, taking an interest in the battle itself.

Issei could feel his body burning. Two minutes had gone by, and already, he felt his body burning. Whether it was a sign of him ready to break down, or just feeling the effects of Boost, he didn't know. Frankly, he didn't care. The fight was worse than training sessions with his teacher or partner. He had always managed to score at least one hit, with Scathach being the sole exception. She was damn near impossible to hit, with her sharp agility making it difficult to pinpoint and track. With Nurarihyon? He was always on the offensive, never letting up, and his defense was superb. When Issei struck, he was always countered.

He lunged in for another stab, but his strike was parried again by the wooden sheath. What's more, Nurarihyon locked the flat of his weapon around the spear's shaft and wretched it out of the boy's grip. Using the brief opening of Issei's surprise, the Youkai commander rushed in and elbowed the boy in the solar plexus. Issei felt the air forced from his lungs as he was sent tumbling backward and landed near his weapon.

"...Is that really all you have, boy?" Nurarihyon questioned as he tapped his weapon on his shoulder.

Issei gasped for air, feeling the affect of the blow. He slowly got up to his feet, grasping the shaft of his spear. He felt his legs wobble. A scowl formed on his face, and leveled a glare at him.

For a moment, brown eyes turned red.

He clenched his fist and in tandem, the jewel of his Sacred Gear glowed brighter. "I'm not done yet!" He roared as he crouched down into a familiar stance and shot forward.

Nurarihyon smiled widely. "That's the spirit, kid!"

Once Issei drew close, his opponent moved his sword to black his advance. However, at the last moment, Issei changed direction in his movement.

Subtly, the shaft of the spear twisted around, letting the edge of the bladed tip grind against the wood. Issei followed with it, moving along with the thrust as his free hand clenched into a fist.

 **[BOOST!]**

Scathach's eyes widened. "Wait, that's-!"

His Sacred Gear just performed another Boost. Does that mean...?!

The brunette paid no mind to the effect of his Gear as he drew his fist back for a punch. Nurarihyon, grinning, raised his own hand to intercept it.

The Supreme Commander of Youkai caught it with ease, and evaded Gae Bolg's pierce, tilting his head to the side.

However, he didn't expect Issei to ram his head into his own.

"Guh!" He was stunned from the surprise of the attack, and stumbled a bit. Issei took his opportunity to back up and attack again. Even though his brain was rattle from the head on collision, he was still determined to land a decent blow.

He spun around on his foot, and swung his spear in an arc. Nurarihyon, while disoriented, was far from helpless, as he flipped his sword around into an underhand fashion. As a result, the sheathed blade blocked the shaft of the spar. The brunette growled. "So close...!"

"And yet so far. But nice try, though." The Youkai Commander grinned before flicking his wrist to knock the spear away.

The two were repelled, and stood away from one another.

Issei's breathing was ragged, and he looked as if he can barely stand. Nurarihyon on the other hand didn't look the least bit exhausted.

"He certainly lives up to his reputation," Iskandar remarked. "That head butt was the first time the boy landed a solid blow on him."

"Yeah. But even then, it still wasn't enough." Tamamo replied.

"And he's already exhausted from the fight."

Scathach remained quiet during the conversation, eyes closed in thought.

"...no," she soon spoke. "He's not done yet." The others gave her a strange look. "After all...Gae Bolg hasn't had its fill, and neither has the Welsh Dragon."

The rest of the group was confused by what she meant, and was snapped out of it when one word resounded in the air.

 **[BOOST!]**

"I'm not done yet!" Issei roared. In a burst of speed, faster than before, he shot forward with the intent of skewering Nurarihyon. In response, the Youkai grinned widely, and charged.

Gae Bolg and the sheathed sword clashed once again. The shockwave that followed was even greater than before. Some members of the Night Parade were nearly thrown off their feet.

The Members of the Grand Order stood their ground as the shockwave passed over them.

Issei and Nurarihyon engaged once more. Loud *clangs* echoed in the air as they tried to strike at one another, moving about the battlefield. 'He's catching up,' Nurarihyon thought excitedly. 'At this rate, it won't be long now.'

"Faster..." Issei muttered. "Go...faster...!"

 **[BOOST!]**

More power surged from his Sacred Gear and into his body. His strikes became heavier. His movements faster.

But...it wasn't enough.

"Not yet..." Issei growled as he blocked a strike from Nurarihyon, and reciprocated with a swing. The blade missed, but Nurarihyon was left open. "Not yet!"

He twirled the spear around so that the head was redirected at the Youkai Commander. He swung again for another heavy strike.

Nurarihyon deflected it, but for a moment, he felt his balance shift. 'Damn, he's getting stronger,' he thought. His heart began to beat with excitement. 'He's almost there...'

He's almost to the level of power of the Hound of Chulainne.

Now, all he needed was the final push.

"You know...I'm surprised that a pipsqueak like you is able to keep up."

Issei bristled at the insult, and his scowl grew. "Just wait, ya damned youkai bastard!" he snarled as he launched an attack on him. "I'll run you through!"

"Then stop barking and show me your bite!"

"Oh, I'll show you 'bite'!" The brunette snapped back as he continued his charge.

Iskandar groaned, running a hand down his face. "Oh, that damned fool! One does not take bait!"

"It isn't bait," Scathach refuted. "Nurarihyon...he's egging him on. He's trying to make his Sacred Gear awaken."

 **[BOOST!]  
**  
"And at this rate...he just might."

With each additional boost, the red gauntlet on Issei's arm was slowly changing. Before, it was just a simple, fingerless red gauntlet that covered up to half of his forearm. But now it's encroaching his entire forearm. Issei was so into the fight that he didn't even notice the gradual transformation.

Karna frowned heavily as he folded his arms. "But why?" he asked. "At this rate, Issei can transfer all of the built-up energy into Gae Bolg, and land a solid hit...and with that much power, that will inflict quite the wound."

"Unfortunately," Tsurara, who had been mostly silent throughout the battle, spoke up with a sigh. "That's how my husband is...he's always desired a battle with one who carries Gae Bolg. In other words, the Hound of Chulainne. If memory serves, it was back on the stories his grandfather told him."

"Grandfather?"

"Mm. Long ago, Nura-chan's grandfather and the Hound of Ulster fought. Since then, he's always wanted to fight." A soft smile formed on the Yuki-Onna's face. "Nura-chan admires his grandfather so much he wants to be like him. It's why he chose to take the title of Lord of Pandemonium, and Supreme Commander of the Youkai, for himself."

"Wait...title? Grandfather? Wasn't he was always the Lord of Pandemonium? The same Lord of pandemonium from the Great War?" Mashuu inquired.

Tsuara giggled. "Well, actually..."

"TWWWWAAAAARRRRGH!" The conversation was cut short as Issei let out a cry of rage, leaping into the air with his spear raised. Nurarihyon jumped back to evade it, but to everyone's surprise, when the spear struck the ground, the earth cracked apart. Every member of the Night Parade let out a cry of excitement, as if also pumped out by the charge in the atmosphere. The white-and-black-haired youkai was giving off a feral smile, as if pleased to see what he was seeing. While he still wasn't up to par with him...the fight was starting to get exciting! As the brunette pulled himself up, his gauntlet shined again.

 **[BOOST!]**

Nurarihyon smirked. 'Finally,' he thought. 'Now, he can give me a real fight.'

Unfortunately for him, Issei thought it was time to end the fight as he looked up. His eyes flashed red, but were soon overcome with green. His gauntlet shined again as he let loose another cry. One that shocked the members of the Grand Order.

"Raaaaaaaagh...! DDRAIG!"

 **[DRAGON BOOSTER!]  
**  
The gauntlet's shined burned ever brighter. Golden spikes formed along the metal covering the forearm, which then reached up to the elbow. Dark red talons encased his fingers, the tips shaped like those of a blade. Tracing down from the gem in the center of the back of the hand and reaching down to the edge of the gauntlet was a singular spine, as if to represent the gauntlet's status. Issei didn't notice it yet, as if acting purely on instinct. He fell into a stance, and let the power grow. Red energy danced around him, and sparks danced around his spear.

 **"Gae...!"**

[TRANSFER!]

Nurarihyon's eyes widened, then letting out a sigh. "Ah, fu-"

 **"BOLG!"**

The boy leaped high into the air with his arm drawn back. He then hurled the cursed spear with all his might right at the Youkai Commander. The target of the attack remained steadfast and did something for the first time in this duel.

He drew his sword.

A silver gleam clashed with burning red. However, simply because he stopped it didn't mean he was out of the woods yet.

After all...the spear was much like its owner, and it never stopped hunting until its teeth had scarred it's prey. Though he defended against one attack, the red spears spawned from the red weapon forged by the Witch of the Shadow Lands continued to charge. The power of the Welsh Dragon had made them far more powerful. More potent. 'This is gonna hurt, isn't it?' he thought. As he parried the first spear, he then began to knock back the other spears. Dust began to dance around him as silver and red clashed, over and over again.

Then the spears converged, and charged all together at once. It rammed up against his sword, and flung him off of his feet. With impressive strength, the man was thrown straight back into a wall.

Dust and debris settled into the air. The area was silent. No one dared to move or breathe. Even Issei, who was panting heavily, said nothing. He could barely breathe. His body felt heavy, leaning on Gae Bolg for support, once it returned to him. He was on his knees, and clutching to his weapon like a lifeline as his chest rose and fell rapidly. Were it not for his spear, he would have fallen to the ground, face first.

"Haa...haaa..." He gasped for air as sweat drenched his brow. He slowly looked up to his opponent, who was now peeling himself off from the wall. He gave himself an once-over and dusted himself off.

"Jesus, kid," Nuriarhyon said with a wide smile. "You could at least warn a guy when you throw a spear at him!" Even though he let out a laugh, Issei still felt bitter. There wasn't a single scratch on him, save for the small cut on his cheek. "Well...it was a heck of a spar. And hey, no damage!" He paused for a moment, looking at the spot where Issei's spear struck the ground, and the wall behind him, which had a decent-sized crater. "Well...little damage. Still, wish I won this round."

...what?

"H-huh?" Issei gaped. "W-what do you mean?! I didn't even get a single hit on you!"

"Wrong," Nurarihyon smiled, pointing to the cut on his cheek. "You made this little shiner. In other words, you got one on me. Hell, had to pull out my sword just to block that damned stick of yours. Never thought I had to, actually, so that makes another reason why I lost."

Scathach sighed, shaking her head. "Honestly, Nura..." she muttered. "I would appreciate it if you didn't beat up my student?"

"Hey, wanted to see what the kid was made of!" the Lord of Pandemonium retorted. "And I like what I see." He then walked over to Issei, offering his hand to him. The brunette was still stunned. It seemed like he had won...somehow, by Nurarihyon's rules. He gracefully accepted the man's hand, and pulled himself up. "Say, kid..."

"Y-yeah...?"

Nurarihyon gave an impish smile as he spoke his next words, which promptly set the jaws of everyone in the area straight to the floor. "How would you like to join my Night Parade?"

"..." A second passed. Then two. Then three. The finally...

"...Eh?" Did Issei hear that right?

"WHAT?!" Tamamo screeched, eyes wide with shock. "NURA-CHAN, HAVE YOU GONE MAD?!"

Scathach, Tsurara, Karna, and Mashuu were equally perturbed. Hercules' expression remained neutral while Iskandar bellowed in laughter.

Really, how could he not? After all, the boy was essentially asked to join a yakuza full of youkai.

"Why not?" Nurarihyon shrugged, not seeing a problem. "He's got some good potential. Besides, I've been meaning to find some new blood." He then turned to his Night Parade. "And how about you guys? Any complaints?"

His subordinates remained silent...mostly from the shock from the prospect of having the boy join their ranks. Not that they minded...of course. Given what they've seen, they'd be glad to have him part of their group. They were just stunned from the implications from it...particularly one right in their very presence.

Naturally though...Nurarihyon took their silence as a confirmation.

"See?" He smiled. "They don't seem to mind. How about you, Tsurara-chan?"

He turned to face his wife, and was greeted by a familiar, frigid sensation.

"E-er, Tsurara-chan...?"

The chills grew even colder. He could see the menacing glowing eyes peer through her bangs.

"T-Tsurara-chan? Um, s-sweetie?!"

Tamamo couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. "...nice knowing you, Nurarihyon-chan."

She knew what was going to happen. After all, she was a wife herself.

"...Rikuo-kun...you...BAKA!"

In the next second, there stood a large glacier, reaching up to the high heavens.

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

"...Tsuara-san is really scary," Issei said as he, alongside the rest of Scathach's group, sat across from Nurarihyon, who was currently wearing a much larger, and obviously, much warmer yukata, with a still fuming Tsuara sitting next to him. "I heard that Yuki-Onna were really scary if a stronger dropped their baby, but that was...terrifying."

The Supreme Commander of Youkai chuckled bashfully, scratching his cheek. "Well, she can come off like that, I suppose," he said. "But I was serious. You want to join my Night Parade of 100 Demons? We could use someone like you, kid." Tsurara gave him another cold glare, which he noticed and flinched. "That is...if your teacher is okay with it."

"Hm..." Scathach hummed. "An interesting proposition. Well, I have no control over what my student does, but preferably, I'd rather not have him involved with a yakuza at his age."

"What's the problem?" Iskandar asked. "I think he's age appropriate! Hell, back in Sparta, boys joined the military when they were younger than him!"

"That was then, this is now. Two entirely different things, Rider."

Karna shook his head. "We're talking about Issei's decision of joining the supernatural Yakuza."

"Well, I suppose it would be a sign of good relations with the Youkai Faction if one of our members was apart of Nurarihyon-chan's Night Parade," Tamamo said thoughtfully. "Although...I'm not too sure if it's legal. Ise-chan's still underage."

Masshu nodded. "It seems...unacceptable."

Issei couldn't help but sweatdrop. "...you guys all sound like my own mother," he deadpanned. "I think I can make my own damn decision!"

"Language, boy!" Scathach snapped at him. "How many times must I say it?!"

"I'm 13, Big Sis!"

"Still not old enough!"

"Just like how he still isn't old enough to drink. And that will be problematic for him joining the Night Parade."

Nurarihyon smiled as he waved a hand. "Ah, please," he said, completely waving off their dismissals. "If the kid is old enough to fight in a supernatural war, he's old enough to drink, much less curse!"

"Rikuo-kun," Tsurara warned. "Do you want me to freeze you solid again?"

"Hurk!"

Issei blinked. "...Rikuo-kun?" he asked. "Come to think of it, you called him that before. Is that, like, your pet name for him?"

Tsuara realized her blunder, and blushed furiously. Nurarihyon, however, chuckled. "Actually, it's my real name," he said, earning confused looks. "Nura, Rikuo. Pleasure to meet you all."

"...Huh? Wait, what?! Wasn't Nurarihyon your real name?! I'm confused..."

"Nurarihyon was the name of his grandfather," Scathach told the boy. "The same man who fought in the Great War, and fought the Archangel, Michael, to a draw. The very name itself draws respect to any youkai who hears it."

Nurarihyon, or rather, Rikuo, nodded. "Yep, gramps was one hell of a youkai back in the day," he said wistfully with a proud smile. "Stubborn, yet prideful, you'd never find anyone like him. I took on his name, but if you wanna know the truth, I'm nowhere near his level, and I don't think I ever will be...of course, that didn't stop me from trying to take the title, Lord of Pandemonium, for myself." A chuckle escaped him. "Man, Yasaka-sama was pissed about that day. I think she still is, given how much damage I caused."

"Quite," a voice echoed from behind the group as the doors leading into it opened. "And that's not accounting for the fact that you beat poor Take-Minakata to a bloody pulp. Like grandfather, like son, I suppose." The group turned, and found a voluptuous woman standing at the door's entrance. She had an hourglass figure, and had blonde hair with matching eyes. She was dressed in an elegant miko-like attire, with the hakama colored a light purple. Like Tamamo, she had tails wishing about behind her, though these were colored a light gold instead of a soft brown color. "And don't even get me started on the damage you caused to the palace."

Everyone in the room felt the power radiating from her form. Issei felt captivated by her beauty and tried his hardest to suppress his blush. Karna and Mashuu bowed respectively, knowing fully well who they were in the presence of. Scathach bowed her head in greeting. Iskandar smiled. Hercules lightly bobbed his head. A certain Kitsune giggled as she happily waved. "...It's been a long time, imouto-chan~"

The woman sighed. "It's been a long time...Onee-sama." she said with a hint of exasperation. "When I came by to see Nurarihyon, imagine my surprise when I hear that the reincarnation of the Avatar of Amaterasu-sama returned with the Witch of the Shadow Lands." Suddenly, the room became flooded with killing intent. Enough to make Issei yelp, and Rikuo sweat bullets. Tamamo looked the worst off, as it was all centered on her. "Now...I do believe I have many years worth of punishment to catch up on, don't I?"

"N-now, wait, hold on a sec!"

"Moreover," Tamamo walked into the room, her presence growing. Foxfires began to dance around her. "I hear you've gone and married a human."

"P-please wait, my adorable imouto! I-I can explain!"

"Oh, I'm sure you can," Yasaka gave a sickly sweet smile. The foxfires grew larger. "Right after I punish my onee-sama for abandoning her duties without so much as a word, and passing off leadership to me without so much as a word either."

The Caster whimpered. "...have mercy!"

"Sorry~Fresh out of mercy~"

Issei wasn't sure which was scarier. The way she said in a sing-song tone, or the fact that she spoke it with a terrifying smile.

Regardless, the screaming of Tamamo-no-mae were sure to haunt his nightmares for years to come.

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

"Hm?" Zelretch hummed. "Emiya-kun, did you feel anything just now?"

The Counter Guardian looked up from his desk, raising an eyebrow at the Dead Apostle. "None that I know of," he said. "Why?"

"I felt like I was missing out on some hardcore retribution."

A sigh escaped him. "Of course..." he muttered. "Anyway...I've been meaning to ask something. You said that this wasn't your first time in this world. What did you mean by that?"

"Oh, that?" Kaleidoscope smiled wryly. "Well, I should have worded it better. I meant a world similar to this one, only dear Issei-kun was hopelessly perverted. Became obsessed with oppai so much that he wanted to become a Harem King."

"That so? And what changed here? The Oni that attacked him?"

Zelretch shrugged. "Partially. It's a curious phenomenon called the butterfly effect. I assume you've heard of it?"

"Of course." He man nodded. "It's the effect that describes of how a single change can cause ripples of distortion that affects everything around it."

"Exactly. Us being sent here created the circumstances behind Issei's attack by the Oni. As a result, instead of a literal oppai baka, we got a descendant of Cu Chulainne. In other words, this world is trying to accommodate our presence here. Of course, that being said, some events will stay the same."

EMIYA knew what he was referring to. "You mean his meeting with Rias Gremory?"

"Yep. Got it in one, Emiya-kun." Zelretch chuckled. "Those two are destined to meet. Once they do...our REAL Mission can begin."

The Archer sighed. "Yeah..." He then looked at the troll, his face serious. "Be honest with me, you old goat. What are our odds of beating HIM?"

"Well, as we currently stand...about a 1 in a 1,000,000 chance...and that is being generous."

EMIYA said nothing. His expression remained event. Eventually, however, he sighed heavily and slumped in his chair. "...well I guess I shouldn't be surprised," he muttered. "After all, he is the King of Magic itself. His death is practically what brought the end of the Age of Gods back in our world."

"Indeed," Zelretch bobbed his head in agreement. "King Solomon will be no easy opponent. It's why we created the Grand Order in the first pace. To gather the Heroic Spirits of this world, through their descendants and their reincarnations, and bring them to the fight against him."

"Perhaps, but they can only use their power with the Class Cards we made," the Director pointed out. "It's why we divided them into the same Classes used by the Holy Grail."

It was the bug in their system. For the Heroic Spirits of this world to access their Noble Phantasms from the Throne of Heroes, the Class Cards were created.

In a way, it was similar to the Class Cards forged by the Ainsworth Family in that dual dimension Zelretch had been to. The one involved Illya becoming a magical girl. That thought alone brought up bad memories for EMIYA, especially when he remembered his first meeting with Serafall Leviathan, one of the leaders of the Devil Faction. Suffice to say, he made it a point to never let a certain Caster of his group meet her, lest he suffer quite the humiliating headache. Regardless, it still surprised EMIYA to know that the Throne of Heroes could be accessed, even in a world like this. Then again, he made a contract with a "World," so he really shouldn't have been so surprised. At any rate, it was quite the annoyance, but he was willing to put up with it. After all, they did prove to be useful.

"Speaking of that," Zelretch hummed thoughtfully. "I do believe I recall running into a similar Issei Hyoudou-kun like the one I mentioned a while back. A curious situation, that one. He ended up in the Sixth Grail War, and had a Saber-class Servant." He gave the dark-skinned man a wry grin. "Funny...given in that world, he's YOUR grandson!"

EMIYA felt a shudder run down his back. "Not funny, you old troll."

"It actually is." The Dead Apostle grinned. "Your grandson summoned Atilla as his Servant. And don't get me started on what everyone else summoned..."

"Old man, I am THIS close to using Unlimited Blade Works on your ass."

"Hahaha! Alright, alright..." He raised his hands in a placating manner. "No need to blow a gasket..."

The Counter Guardian clucked his tongue in annoyance. Seriously, the old codger was a troll, through and through. One of these days, he was going to run him through. "By the by," Zelretch said. "Seems a certain troublesome red knight's come home."

"Haa..." EMIYA suppressed the urge to rub his temples.

As if on cue, the doors were thrown open, nearly off their hinges, followed by an obnoxiously loud voice. "Oi, old man! We're back!"

"Huh. What do you know? Speaking of the Devil..."

Three people entered the room, all female. The first was a petite girl with white hair and cold blue eyes, wearing revealing clothing that shouldn't be worn by someone who looked so young. Her attire was little more than black leggings that reached up to her calves and black gloves, as well as a black tank top that exposed her midriff, and black battle garments that more or less looked like underwear. Her appearance was that of a child, but the blood splatters on her face, hands, and legs said otherwise, as had the seemingly lifeless look in them. It also did not help matters that she had knives strapped to her right thigh, several of which still had blood on them.

The second was more modestly dressed, wearing a dark green hoodie over a light green shirt and a denim skirt with black leggings, which had tears, and leather boots. Soft green hair flowed out from underneath her hood, which had a few streaks of gold, and a pair of sharp eyes, befitting her role as an Archer. On her back was a bow, signifying her Class.

The third was obviously the leader of the group. She looked quite young, having bright green eyes, a cocky smirk, and blonde hair that was tied back into a messy short ponytail, wearing nothing but a tube top that exposed her abdomen and a crimson leather jacket that was wrapped around her waist. Her face was fierce, as was the blade strapped to her hip.

"Welcome back," Zelretch smiled widely. "So, how went the overkill?"

"Went off without a hitch." The blonde girl smirked. "Kinda disappointed though...they didn't put up much of a fight."

The hooded girl sighed. "That's only because you didn't give them the slightest chance to fight back."

The small girl nodded. "...onee-sama was very violent today."

"Well, what did you expect? I have been itching to let loose a while now!" She shot back.

EMIYA sighed. "...remind me again, how are you related to Artoria?"

"Well, she IS the descendant of the original Mordred Le Flay, in case you forgot, Emiya-kun!" Zelretch smirked. "Anyway, I've got good news for you all. You finally have a Lancer in your team!"

The girls' eyes widened. Especially the hooded girl. "...is it a girl?"

"Nope!" came the swift, and amused reply. "It's the boy Scathach has been training! One Issei Hyoudou-kun! Sorry, Atalanta-chan. Better hope next time."

Mordred scoffed. "Oh, please..." she waved off the excitement. "We've been doing just fine by ourselves! We don't need a Lancer!"

"Even if said Lancer is the Sekiryuutei?" EMIYA said with a smirk of his own, causing the red knight to stop.

The Archer and Assassin of the group turned to face the Kaleidoscope as well. While the petite girl maintained a mask of indifference, the hooded girl's eyes widened considerably.

Mordred, however...

"W-what?!" she gawked with wide eyes. "B-bullshit!"

"Hardly," the troll drawled with satisfaction. "He's certain to be useful. Or, perhaps, could it be..." He let out a mock gasp. "Are you afraid your position will be usurped by a rookie?! How scandalous!"

EMIYA let out a sigh. Really, this old man had way too much fun messing around with other people. Then again, even he found himself amused by the enraged expression on Mordred's face. Maybe it was because of his connection to his Saber? Or perhaps the fact that the girl was by far his greatest headache, second only to Gilgamesh whenever his "true king" aspect poked its head out every now and then.

"SHUT UP!" the red knight roared. Her face was turning scarlet, rage evident in her eyes. "Grr...! Where is he?! I'll prove we don't need a stupid Lancer, even if he was taught by Lady Scathach!"

"He's out on a mission right now," the Director said. "Which means he won't return for quite a while. Now shut up, and relax. You're causing a headache for me already."

"Oh, screw you, Director!" Mordred snapped at her superior.

The man didn't look the least bit fazed. "Whine and complain all you want, kid. Doesn't change anything."

He REALLY didn't want to put up with this shit right now...

"Hahaha," Zelretch chuckled. "I swear, your like a bunch of bickering in laws...which may or may not be far from the truth. I remember that you in one world you and Artoria-"

As soon as he said that, a sharp voice echoed through the air.

"I am the bone of my sword."

Blades were aimed, among them being demonic swords and holy blades. The old troll sighed. "Oh, for fucks sake, Emiya-kun...can't you take a joke?!"

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

Yasaka let out a sigh of content. "MUCH better now."

Others present in the room sweatdropped at her actions while some were pressed up against the wall in fear.

And for good reason...after all, Tamamo's body was twitching and spamming all over the place, slightly burnt with smoke rising off of her.

Suffice to say, Issei was now traumatized.

"Well, that was terrifying," Iskandar commented. "I have heard of the saying, 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,' but that was something else."

"I'm still in shock that she would be that brutal to her own sister. Sure Tamamo abandoned her duties, but still..."

Issei gulped. "...remind me to never piss off Yasaka-sama."

"G-Got it...as long as you remind me..." Mashuu trembled.

Rikuo merely gave the sight a deadpan. "Yeesh...and here I thought I had it bad. I suppose it's a good idea that I was an only child." Well, he could also factor in that his father, Rihan, was murdered when he was a kid so he didn't have a chance of having younger siblings.

"So then," Yasaka clapped her hands. "What is this I hear about the Grand Order coming here to Kyoto?"

"Ah, yes..." Scathach recalled their primary reason for coming here.

"The reason we came was because of something involving the problem you have with Kurama Tengu."

"I see..." Yasaka nodded her head in understanding. "I take it you wish to assist us in quelling the rebellion?"

"They wouldn't be here if they did," Rikuo said with a smirk. "And they got you the ok sign. They brought back proof. The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi." Yasaka's eyes went wide. "Better yet, we've got the Hound of Chulainne reborn with us, plus a few added friends. I'd say we could end him. How about you, Yasaka-sama? It's your call." The man flashed a wild grin. "The Night Parade of 100 Demons is at your disposal."

"Thank you, Nurarihyon..."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

The Supreme Commander smirked.

Scathach smiled, giving a nod. "Indeed...though in my case, I'm simply passing the time. Besides, my student could use a good workout."

"Yeah. The kid wasn't too shabby...made my draw my sword." Nurarihyon chuckled.

Issei gave the youkai a strange look. "Yeah, but you were holding back! The only reason I won, according to you, was because I made you draw your sword and make that cut on your cheek!"

"Meh, details!"

Tsuara sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. "Honestly..."

"Well, if this is all settled," Iskandar said with a booming tone. "Let us go and conquer Kurama Tengu and his horde!"

Masshu sighed. "Iskandar...that is foolhardy and reckless."

"How so?!"

"Well for one, we do not know his current location. Two, we do not know the number of his forces. Three, we do not know their full capabilities. And four, a head-on charge against an enemy we do not know the full details of is like running to meet potential death." Karna replied.

"Well, I got you covered about his capabilities, and maybe how much firepower he has under him," Rikuo offered. "But as to where he is, no dice."

"It is the same on my end as well," Yasaka stated. "We had done our best to locate Kurama Tengu for the past month, but we have yet to find him. It seems that ever since Take-Minakata was defeated, he has gone into hiding. Likely waiting for myself and Nurarihyon to lower our guards."

"Except that plan was foiled," the Shielder pointed out. "Since we retrieved the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi."

"Perhaps...but even without it, he is still a strong foe."

For some reason, Issei couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement. Strong? That sounded...interesting. Wait, what was he even talking about? That was bad! He was already having reservations about actually working for that Zelretch and EMIYA guy, but hearing that this Kurama Tengu was some seriously strong guy?! It made his job worse! So why was he seriously looking forward to this?!

Was...was he really turning into a Battle Maniac? Damn it! His master warned him about this, but he didn't pay her any mind!

Unknown to him, Gae Bolg flashed slightly. An act that did not go unnoticed by Scathach.

The crimson eyed woman narrowed her eyes slightly.

That...was hardly a good sign.

XxXxX DxD/Grand Order XxXxX

Elsewhere, within the outskirts of Osaka, a large group of youkai had gathered. Their forms varied from nekomata to oni to yuki-onna to other beings. There was no end to them...and their numbers were staggering. The streets were littered with them, and the rooftops crowded. Some of the avian type had taken to the skies, with some flaming youkai simply floating about like the wil-o-wisp.

And in the center of it all...was their glorious leader.

Kurama Tengu was said to resemble the Fallen Angel, Kokabiel, yet few actually saw the resemblance. The youkai's skin was deathly pale, and his body skinny to the point where one could see his bones. He bore deep sockets that seemed to almost retreat into his skull, giving his eyes a rather menacing visage. Truly, it was as if his body was frail. He had little hair, which looked more like spidery sinews of black, and the whites of his eyes were naught but red. There were no irises. Only black pupils. A heavy black kimono covered his body, and in his hand was a wooden cane.

Truly, it was hard to compare the two...but it was not appearance-wise those who spoke of such things were referring to.

What they referred to...was ambition and power.

"...My brothers and sisters..." He spoke, his voice projecting to the furthest reaches of the crowd, its tone deep and hoarse. "The time for Revolution...has come!"

A chorus of cheers and roars erupted from the gathering of youkai.

"Long have we waited!" Kurama Tengu bellowed, his tone possessing authority, charisma, and power. "Years, we have waited for this day! For the day when we would be free of these pathetic shackles! Once, long ago, humans feared, reviled, and revered us! Once, long ago, we were upon the realm of gods!"

Another chorus of cheers.

"Yet now look at us!" the old man growled. "Look upon our bodies! The Great War-NO! Yasaka, and that fool, Nurarihyon...they believed that peace was the answer! They believed that bending to the knee was the best option! Yet look at us!" Sadness and weep crept into his voice. "We have become weak! Feeble! Senile! PATHETIC!"

Cries of indignation. Cries of scorn and hatred.

"We have suffered for years under this so-called ideal of peace...yet the world continues to move! We continue to be forgotten!" Kurama Tengu roared. "But that ends! Today...today, we break free of these idiotic constraints! Today, we once again ascend to the throne of gods themselves! Today, the youkai shall rise again!"

Power charged the air. The army allowed their presences to flare.

But all of them dwarfed in comparison to the man who coveted the name of the Lord of Pandemonium.

"TODAY, WE KILL YASAKA, AND TAKE KYOTO!"

"YEEEEEAAAAAAAAAH...!" Cheers of agreement resounded and shook the earth.

Cheers chorused, over and over. Excitement bubbled over. Kurama Tengu stood in the center of it all, his form ever radiating great power.

No one yet knew of what was coming...for come the fall of Father Sun, and the rise of Mother Moon, it would begin.

The Great Battle for Kyoto.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

 **Preview:**

 _"Hmph...you think you can stop me, welp?"_

"I see...so the boy is the current generation's Red Dragon Emperor?"

"He's got a lot of potential...and by fighting strong opponents, his potential will grow ever greater."

"If this thing goes through, we might be looking at the possibility of a second Great War."

"Just then...I felt Gae Bolg reacting...as if my adorable little pup still yet lived."

 _ **Chapter 3: Dirge of Reckoning! Kurama Tengu's Revolution!**_

"Irina...I will..."


	4. Revised story up

**Okay. Just to let you guys know, the poll has been taken down and the fate of the story has been decided on. Both stories will still exist, but the revised version will be the only one updated.**

 **On another note, the Revised** version **of DxD: Grand Order is up under the name, DxD; Chronicles of the Grand Order.**

 **Thank you for all your support**


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